


Real light brings warmth

by tolip



Category: Trench - Twenty One Pilots (Album), Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Blood, Burns, DEMA (Twenty One Pilots), Death, Fire, Fire Powers, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kinda, Light Angst, Non-Graphic Violence, Not really though, Original Character(s), Other, POV Original Character, Panic Attacks, Seizures, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Stabbing, Tagging as I go, Torture, Trench Era, War, kinda graphic, like super light angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2020-05-19 01:46:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 37
Words: 35,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19347058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tolip/pseuds/tolip
Summary: Eliot is a long time resident of Dema. He has a power that no one, not even he understands. Will he be able to help the rebellion and destroy Dema or will he die trying.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own anything related to Dema that belongs to Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. This is my first fic that I am posting so I would really appreciate constructive criticism. Please enjoy my take on the world of Dema! Also I am not a good writer so bare with me and if you have any tips i would really appreciate them.
> 
> Also I wont be saying which chapters have triggering things because spoilers, so read the triggers and be ready for what is in them.

Sprinting through the forest, I turn my head to look back at my blood staining the leaves and bushes my bloody thigh scraped across. I hear rustling behind me and my eyes fall on the veiled face of the most deadly and abusive bishop, Nicholas Bourbaki, or as he prefers to be called Nico. My heart races at the sight of him, fear entering my bloodstream, causing me to run despite the pain coursing through my leg. I can feel him getting closer, I'm short of breath but I keep running, my lungs burning I make a sharp turn to the right branches scratching me, adding more blood to the grey outfit I'm wearing. I keep running and as the trees begin to clear I hear the sound of my feet on pebbles and rushing water. I look towards the horizon and see the moon and stars above me and I shudder, the dark sky is too much like Dema, the lack of light making my lack of breathe worse. Still running I turn my head and look back to see him right behind me his blood red cloak swishing in the wind. I try to run faster but my leg finally gives and I fall flat on my face. Scrambling to get up I grab uselessly at the loose gravel and feel hot tears trickle down my face as I realize I wasn’t able to escape like I promised her I would. I feel hands around my neck and I try to focus and use the only thing that could help me but I'm too tired and have lost too much blood to be able to do it. I feel the hands around my neck tighten and I slip into the darkness of my mind.

“Oh come on now you really think you could of escaped Dema. You forgot, didn't you? You forgot that you are weak, that you can't even control the one good thing about you didn’t you Eliot?” he said.

It was the ring leader of my hallucinations. He looked exactly like me ginger hair, an enormous amount of freckles covering his skin. He is slim like me and even has the same large scar going from my forehead down through my eyebrow, the only thing different about the two of us is that he has no pupils. His eyes are just a clean, snow, white void of any soul or emotions other than hatred and a thirst for control. I sob trying to scream as loud as I can for him to go away but all that came out was a broken whimper and more hot tears fell from my eyes.

He stands and says “Oh really, we will see about that.”

He flicks his wrist and snaps his fingers and a small girl, with long blond hair in a yellow dress appears. She gives me a polite smile before trying to walk up to me, but he raises his hand and she stops in place. She raises her hand to her throat and I start to sob knowing full well what is about to happen. She starts to rise in the air and glow as bright as the sun. I stare into her eyes trying to apologize for what is happening to her. She opens her mouth to speak but before she can outer a word she turns to ash.

He walks over to me and crouches down. I try to turn my head to the side but he grabs my face, turns t towards himself and says. 

“Don’t try to escape again or someone else will go away just like she did. Did you forget Dema is your home? It’s where you belong and this time you aren’t ever leaving again”

He stands up, waves goodbye and disappears, looking like a glitch on a computer all the while.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being returned to Dema Eliot sees an old friend and the bishops pay him a quick visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is appreciated

I wake up from my uneasy slumber and get up and sprint to the bathroom and look into the mirror to see my yellow eyes.

“Thank god” I sigh, relief washing over me. 

He didn’t take control my eyes are still yellow not white. I didn’t kill her he did. I didn’t kill her.

I undress and get into the shower. I get the bar of soap and scrub at my skin trying to wash off the shame, but it won't go away. No matter how hard I scrub it won't go away. I leave the shower and grab a towel. The towel is so rough and everything in my apartment is so gray and lifeless. I walk over to my dresser and get dressed into gray pants and a gray hoodie. I put my hands into my pocket and find a red carnation. Kayla. How did she get this to me? She escaped. She isn’t back in this hell. I run to my windows and to my horror there she is. Her blood red hair. Her dark, chocolate coloured skin. But I can’t see her face, it’s covered by a yellow bandanna. She is standing half behind a building. I raise my hands and sign to her,

 

“How did you get here, you escaped. Why did you come back? You need to run before they find you.”

“I know, but I needed to see you meet me here in two days at sunset.” she signed. And with that, she was gone.

Still looking out the window I see the nine bishops, walking towards my apartment door. I quickly run and lift up a secret compartment where I hid all the carnations Kayla has given me. Anything that has colour is contraband in Dema and the punishment is gruesome. I quickly sit down on the couch just as the nine bishops open the door.

“Eliot, how is your leg doing.” Lisden my bishop asks. He has always been one of the nicer bishops. Which is kinda like saying the Titanic is sinking, but the music is great.

But now that he mentions it my leg has fully healed, just a scar left in place of the deep cut. I don't know how or why it healed so fast my injuries have always healed strangely fast.

“Fine sir,” I mumble looking at the floor.  
“You scum, you tried to escape and you can’t even look at us. You look at us when we are talking to you!” Nico screams at me, he walks over and slaps me across the face.  
After the slap, I look up at Nico and the other bishops. They all seem taken aback as they look into my eyes as if they were scared, but if they were they hid it quickly and with ease.

“Because of your attempted escape I will no longer be your bishop, you will be moved to Keon's sector after you attend the light crafting ceremony. So pack what little things you have and behave or you will be moved into Nico’s home where he can keep a watch on you. We will see you at the ceremony.” Lisden says, and I can feel my heart drop. No this can’t be happening Keons is one of the worst bishops. But I mumble out a quite “yes sir.” and they exit my house and leave it as if they were never there.

I pack the few things that I have into a backpack. Some clothes, my sketchbook, and the red carnations Kayla gave me. I quickly write a note saying that I was being relocated to Keon’s sector of Dema. I tear out the page and leave my dull, gray house and set off towards the alley where I saw Kayla. Once I was there I plucked a petal from the flower she gave me, put it inside the folded note and put a rock on top of it and set it off to the church.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot meets someone new in Dema, which is a rare thing.

As I walk through the dull grey city towards the church I notice that there are some new people who the bishops managed to drag here. One of them is a little girl about the age of seven. She has honey colourd hair and dark, sad eyes like so many others who are stuck in this madhouse. She looks petite and malnourished, it looked like if the wind blew too hard she would crumble to dust. At that thought I let out a choked sob, remembering what he did to her. How he turned her to ash.

“Did you say something mister.” the little girl turns and asks. The others keep walking towards the church not noticing the little girl left the group.

Dammit, she must have heard me, “Um ya, I was wondering what your name was.” I ask a blush spreading across my face.

“My name is Caroline, what's yours mister.” She replies, a small smile spreading across her face.

“My name’s Eliot. What bishop are you under?” I ask, walking towards her.

As I get closer to her I see a mark on her forearm it looks like a brand. Its design is a complicated swirl that travels down to her wrist ending in a snakes head. When she notices me staring she tucks her arm behind her back, looks me in the eyes and says, 

“Keons. Um, this is my first time going to the church would it be okay if I sat with you that you can tell me what to do?”

“Yes, of course,” I say with a smile, “There isn’t much to do during mass but let's go.”

We walk together for a while before we reach the nine towers security check.

“Okay so to get to the church we have to go through this security check. Don't be scared.” I say.  
As we walk toward the nine towers border security I feel a small hand slip into mine. I look down at my hand to see her fingers laced with mine, her grip is tight, her wrist is touching mine and I can feel her quick pulse. We walk together towards the security gate, Caroline's grip tightening all the way. When we reach the security gate I try to let go of her hand but she just squeezes tighter.

“Caroline you have to let go okay. Right after we go through you squeeze my hand as hard as you want but right now I need you to be brave okay?” I say while crouching down to her.

She lets go and asks, “What are they going to do to me?” a small whimper escaping her mouth after the question was asked.

“All its going to do is scan you when you walk through the gate. It will make a little ding noise when you are done being scanned okay?” It takes a few moments for her to let go but after she does she half walks half runs to the gate and stands to wait for the small ding. After it sounds she runs to the other side to stand and wait for me. I make my way through the gate and once I'm through Caroline grabs my hand and holds it tight. We walk down the streets of inner Dema and everything is so much duller in the bishop’s towers the only light coming from the neon lights hanging from the roofed tower. After walking in the eerie artificial light for so long I feel my skin begin to crawl and start to hear the voices that come and go so frequently begin to get louder. Their voices are defining, booming inside my skull. I close my eyes and try to focus on quieting the voices. When they are quieter than a dull roar I open my eyes to see the looming outline of the church of lights in front of me. Made of dull, grey rock like all the other buildings in Dema you wouldn’t even know it was a church if it didn't have the symbols of the bishops carved into the material to make the building have a weird haunting yet eye-catching design.

(The bishops symbols are what circle they correspond to on the blurryface cover. I wasn’t sure how to describe them so I'm putting this here.)

Caroline and I stand, staring at the church's design before we are ushered inside for mass to begin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot and Caroline attend mass and meet someone who's tried to escape and failed quite a few times

Walking into the church feels so familiar and yet so foreign at the same time. It has the same stone benches and the same stone pillars carved with the same design as the outside of the church. It still has the same bright, white, fluorescent light coming from the neon lights hanging from the ceiling. But the atmosphere seems different, more evil, as if the air is charged with electricity. I feel panic start to take over my body so I quickly pull Caroline to a bench and sit down.  
“What happens at mass?” she asks.

“We celebrate the death of past residence of Dema, the bishops make the gravestone for the people that have died. But you need to be quiet during mass if the bishops catch you talking you will be punished and trust me its a brutal punishment.” I say just as the nine bishops lead by Nico enter the church.  
When they make it to the front of the church, they turn to face the crowd and speak in unison,  
“We are gathered here today to honor Jason, he was a true follower of the light. And we will bring down the miscreant who tried to escape again from the top of Keons tower. Now let us begin and follow in the light of the fallen.” They finish their choir of deep, booming, voices and head into the back of the church to grab the glass needed to make the stone. He bishops start the ceremony but I'm not paying attention.  
What do they mean someone is on top of one of the towers. The bishops put bodies of the fallen up there for them to be picked clean by the vultures. Or if someone tried to escape more than once, but there is no way they could still be alive. The vultures are always hungry, they would have been eaten alive. By the time I come back to reality it feels like there is no gravity. I look up to see him.  
He's back. His white eyes staring into my soul. He walks towards me, sits down beside me and says,

“Hi Eli, you made yourself a new friend huh. You aren’t trying to replace me, are you?”  
He reaches his hand towards mine, but I jerk it back and whisper “go away.”

“Fine, but I‘ll be back and we’ll have some fun.” he waves goodbye and disappears, leaving no trace he was never there.

“This concludes our mass for today, you may all go home except for you two,” says Nico and he points at Caroline and me.

“Keons could you please go get him from your tower and bring him here,” Nico says, and it's not a request it’s a demand.

After everyone exits the church the bishops place the gravestone on a cart and they go to put it with the rest of the graves around the city. It is only a few moments before Keons returns with a person behind them, they are very slim and have very pale skin. Their hair is shaved on the sides, but the top is much longer and curls slightly at the ends.

“Eliot, seeing as you have just been moved under my care I wasn’t able to prepare you a house so you will be living with this miscreant, you as well girl. Now go home or there will be consequences.” Keon says before he turns and leaves, his red cloak swishing behind him.

“Well I should probably introduce myself, I'm Tyler Joseph.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot gets to know Tyler and finds a way that he might be able to control his powers. an old friend pays a visit and she has an urgent message.

“Wait, your Tyler Joseph, the Tyler Joseph?” I ask, puzzled. Tyler Joseph is the most infamous Dema resident. He has tried to escape more than anyone else in Dema. he even succeeded once but got dragged back by the bishops after a few months. I always thought that Tyler would have been this super fit, strong, muscular guy, but it turns out he’s no more fit than I am. He is at least a foot taller than me maybe 5’9, 5’10.

“Ya, why?” He replies sounding confused.  
“I would have thought that the bishops killed you, I mean you caused them so much trouble,” I answer looking at the ground, a blush spreading across my face.

“Oh believe me putting me on top of the tower was their attempt. Wait how old are you too like 9 and 10?” Tyler asks while pointing at us.

“Caroline is 9, I know I don't look it but I'm actually 15.” I can feel my blush spreading all over my face.

He seemed not to notice turned around and started to walk out of the church, Caroline and I follow keeping conversation to a minimum. Walking outside of the church into the gray world that is Dema I see Tyler start to shiver and become more paranoid, he started to walk a little faster. Soon enough Caroline isn’t able to keep up. So I bend down and let her ride on my back.

“Hey Tyler, slow down, Caroline and I can’t keep up,” I shout seeing as he is a good 30 feet ahead of us.

He stops and turns around.  
“Sorry got lost in my own head.” he apologizes looking at the ground.

“Oh no, it's fine I get it. Hey, how did you not die on top of the tower, the people they put up there don't come back.” I ask I feel Caroline’s grip on my neck loosen. She must have fallen asleep.

“I’ll explain later. Is he your sister or something?” Tyler asks.

“Oh, no, I met her on the way to mass she seemed scared about being in Dema. I can’t believe the bishops took a little girl when I get ou-”

“Shhh, not now Eliot, they have eyes everywhere.” Tyler interrupts. “I’ll explain when we get home.”

We walk in silence until we reach a house that is so close to Keons tower you can almost make out the doors. The house isn’t very tall, is made of the same grey rock as all the other buildings in Dema. Tyle opens the door and a blast of cold air hits me. The bishops must really hate Tyler, in every house, I've had it at least had a very bad heating system, but it at least had a heating system. In Tyler’s house, you could see your breath coming up in front of you. Tyler’s house has simple furniture, a black couch, and a matching coffee table. His kitchen was simple, a silver fridge and sinks a small wall over off in one corner and some cabinets on the other.

‘There’s a bedroom down the hall where you can set her down. The isn’t much for blankets though.” Tyler tells me while pointing to the opposite end of the house.

The bedroom is small with only a twin size bed and a dresser. I pull back the sheets and put Caroline down on the bed.

“Eliot it’s cold,” she asks, only half awake. I take off my hoodie and give it to her. She slips it on and lays back down. I tuck her in and leave the room, walking back to the living room. Now in just a t-shirt, it feels much colder my skin perking up into goosebumps.

Tyler is sitting on the couch when I get back into the living room. The cold seems to affect him less, but he is wearing a hoodie so that might be part of it.

“So are you going to explain like you said you were going to,” I ask, sitting next to him.

“Oh ya, so I tried to escape again and I almost made it out, but the bishops caught me before I could get over the wall. They were finally done with me so they put on top of Keons tower to try and end me once and for all, but they didn’t know about this thing that I can do.” Tyler starts, playing with the strings on his hoodie as he is talking.

“What thing?” I ask, can help me learn how to use my power. Maybe it can do some good for once.

“I can control birds. I just kinda tell them what to do and they listen. Anyway, I'm going to try and escape again, and I think that you two should come with me. There is a place where you can be safe. Let me take you there.” Tyler says, lowering his voice to a whisper that is barely audible.

“I have a meeting with my friend Kayla, she escaped, I think she will be able to help us. And there is this thing I can do bu-but it's really dangerous and the one time I tried I hurt someone really bad.” I tell him, tears pricking at my eyes, Remembering that night, her screams of pain the hot, bright light. And then the tears start to fall, the shame and guilt, creeping back in.

“Hey, Eliot, it’s okay. I know people who can help you figure this out.” Tyler says, keeping his voice low and soft. “Where did she say she was going to meet you?” Tyler asks, still keeping his voice soft and low.

“In Lisden’s district, I left her a note telling her where I was being transferred, but I don’t know if she got it.” I finish, my tears slowly stopping.

Tyler opened his mouth to say something, but the door opened and in came Kayla. Her hair as red as ever, she pulls down her bandana and closes the door.

“We need to go. Now,” she says her voice filled with panic.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot and the crew begin their escape from Dema and Eliot's power makes a dramatic appearance.

“Kayla oh my god. Wait where are we going?” I ask scrambling.

Tyler just nods and runs down the hall and returns with a backpack, he continues to the kitchen and rummages through cabinets looking for something.

“Eliot I don't have time to explain, the bishops are in their way get your stuff and go!” Kayla says her voice raising.

I don’t need to be told twice. I sprint into the bedroom where Caroline is still asleep. I shake her awake and quickly say,

“Put this on we need to go now.” I help he slip my backpack on and Caroline climbs on to my back and we make our way back into the living room.

I put down Caroline and Tyler says, “Eliot take these,” and he hands me a canteen, a few granola bars, and a long dagger.

“Just in case,” Tyler says, straps it onto my thigh and he walks over to Kayla.

I put the canteen and granola bars in the bag Caroline has on, bend down for her to get and my back and join with Kayla and Tyler.

“Okay we need to move fast there is away out the Bishops don’t know about yet. But I don't know for how long.” Kayla says and turns toward the door, pulling her bandana up and over her face.

Exiting the house It has turned to night. The grey sky now a deep, dark black. The chill in the air, causing our breath to mist in front of us and frost to build on the bottom of buildings. The little light makes it difficult to make anything out that isn’t in the middle of the street.  
Kayla leads us down an alleyway that isn’t too far from Tyler’s house. Kayla stops and crouches down just watching the house.

“We need to see which way the bishops are going so we can avoid them,” she whispers.

We watch the house for a few moments before we see nine red cloaks enter the house. They exit the house and stand in a circle, arguing about something, but there is something off about their cloaks. A strange silver glint near their hands but is too far to see what they are. They end up all walking in different directions in groups, two go in the north, two go east to the church, to go west towards the tallest tower, Nico’s, two go to Keons’ tower. And the last one heads towards the alley we are in.

“Shit we need to move,” Kayla whispers.

I try to get up, but I'm paralyzed with fear. Caroline slips off my back and moves to follow Tyler and Kayla. This can’t be happening, they know where I am they are going to put me on one of those towers. I start to hear the sound of footsteps getting closer around the corner.

“Oh here you are Eliot, unlucky for you to be found by me, we are supposed to just capture you, but I think I’ll just end you know.” Says Nico. of course he is the one to find me, the most brutal bishop of them all. I hear the sound of metal scraping against a sheath and quick, small footsteps behind me.

I look up at Nico his dagger raised above his head.

“Any last words?” He asks, letting out a small chuckle. I just curl into myself. This is it, this is where I die. At least I gave them time to get away, at least for once I was useful. The footsteps are getting louder.  
I glance up at Nico, a wide, malicious smile plastered on his face. He brings down the knife and I hear a loud sharp gasp, and feel drops of warm liquid land on my face and slide into my mouth. It tastes metallic, like sucking on pennies. Blood. This is blood. But who’s is it?

I sit up and open my eyes to the horror in front of me. Caroline, standing in front of me. The hoodie she is wearing soaking with blood and the tip of a dagger coming out of her shoulder.

“No,” I whisper, and she falls back landing with her head in my lap. I take the dagger and pull it out of her shoulder and throw it somewhere behind me.  
“Hey, hey stay with me. You are going to be fine, okay?” I whisper brushing her hair out of her face.  
“Eliot. I'm so tired.” she gasps. Her eyes are half open. Hot tears fall from my eyes landing on her face.  
“Hey don’t cry,” she says while brushing tears from my cheeks. I lift my hand up to her face placing my hand, sticky with warm, dark blood on her cheek.  
“Caroline, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to protect you.” I choke out more tears falling from my eyes.  
“Its okay Eli, you were such a good big brother.” she lets out with a ragged breath, and her hand falls from my check. Nico lets out loud maniacal laughter as she takes her final breath. The moonlight reflecting off of her glossy eyes.

“Caroline!” Tyler screams, drawing his knife and charging towards me  
“Tyler, take her with you, I’ll deal with Nico,” I say gently setting her head on the street and standing up.  
“Eliot there is no way you can take him on by yourself,” Tyler says turning my body towards his, he looks panicked his face a mixture of pain and anxiety. He quickly pulls back his hand from my shoulder as if he’s been burned.  
“Eliot you’re hot to the touch,” Tyler says sounding confused.  
"I know it's my power, now pick her up and run!" I scream and turn to face Nico.  
"Your eyes have fire in them, Eliot. It's time to snuff it out."Nico says while drawing another knife from his cloak.

I walk towards him and raise my hand a small tuft of fire appearing in my palm. Nico backs up and raises his knife in front of himself defensively.  
"Tyler how far back are you!" I shout.  
"I don't know like 15 feet!" He shouts back.  
"You are going to need to go farther than that and cover your eyes!" I say before raising my palm in the air and letting go of control.  
A bright column of fire shoots out of my hand. I try to concentrate and direct it towards Nico but I can't so instead I point my hand at the ground in between us and a massive wall of fire erupts from the spot. But I can't get the fire to stop, the wall of fire just keeps growing until it goes up past the buildings beside me. Then something flies through the massive wall of fire and hits me in the thigh. the pain shooting from my thigh makes the fire stop shooting out of my hand. I look at my palm and the small tuft has disappeared as if it was never there. I turn and walk back to Tyler but before I can get there I collapse.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot has a flashback to when he first used his powers

"Eliot!" Kayla screams running up to me and bending down to help me up.

I look over to Tyler and he has a very shocked expression on his face.

"How's Caroline?" I ask, my voice, raspy.

"She’s still alive, but I don't know for how long. I was also able to stop the bleeding.” Tyler says his voice shaky.

“Ahh!” I scream as Kayla pulls the knife from my leg.

“Sorry, but if I told you I was gonna pull it out you probably wouldn’t let me.” She says while sitting me down.

“Tyler, here tie this around her wound so that there is constant pressure,” she says while handing him a yellow bandanna like the one around her neck.

Tyler ties the bandanna around the wound and pulls it tight. He then lets out a low pitch whistle and a vulture lands next to him.

“Does anyone have something I can write on?” Tyler asks wiping his bloody hands on his grey pants.

“In my bag, I have a sketchbook just tear a page out. Who has it?” I ask while applying as much pressure on my leg as possible.

“Caroline passed it to me before she started running back for you,” Tyler says while rummaging through my bag.

Kayla takes the bandanna off of her neck and ties it around my thigh slowing down the blood flow. 

I haven’t seen Kayla’s face in a year, she still has the same large burn mark on her right cheek and down the right side of her neck. I feel a wave of guilt wash over me. And I fall back into the memory of that night where I first used my powers.  


I'm sitting in Kayla’s room, on her bed with her, it has the same grey as every room in Dema, but on her nightstand, she has a vase full of red carnations. Looking like blood against the grey background. “Eliot, I need your help. I'm going to escape tonight and your gift can help me.” She says placing a hand on my knee.  
“It’s not a gift, its a curse and I don’t know how to control it, I might hurt you,” I say my voice low, head in my hands.

“Yes you can I believe in you, now let’s go,” Kayla says standing up, putting on a grey jacket and a backpack. I stand up and follow her out of her house onto the street. The sky grey and stormy, white snowflakes falling from the sky.  
“Eliot, come with me, we can be free and be happy.” Kayla pleads, grabbing my hand.  
“I can’t what happens if we get caught. The bishops would put us on top of the towers for the vultures to eat us, or worse move us to Nico’s district. Kayla, I can't go with you but I’ll help you.” I say my anxiety rising, constricting my lungs, bringing tears to my eyes.

We continue to walk in silence until we reach one of the walls around Dema. It towers over us probably higher than 200 feet tall.

“Eliot, blast me a hole through the wall,” Kayla says, “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me? I know a place where other people who have escaped are living. It’s run by a couple and they have medical supplies and food and water.” she looks at me with pleading eyes.

“I can’t, but stand back away from the wall,” I say eyes focused on the ground.  
Kayla moves to stand behind me.

I raise my hand and focus trying to pull the fire out of my body. My anxiety rising.  
“Are you sure you can do this Eli? You’ve never done this before. I would hate for something to go wrong.” He whispers and appears in front of me as I finally get the fire to come out of my hand. My heart rate rising as the fire grows bigger and shoots towards the wall. The fire spreading up the wall heating up the rock to it’s melting point. The rock dribbling into hot lava. The whole time he is standing beside me whispering into my ear. And finally, a hole is broken through the wall, and I try to stop the fire but it keeps coming I can’t stop it. The fire surrounds me and my hallucination. I can hear Kayla shouting but can’t understand it over the roar of the flames.  
“You aren’t strong enough to stop it, Eli, let me take control I can stop it. All you have to do is listen to me.” He says, chuckling.  
“NO!” I scream, tears falling from my eyes, the fire surrounding me spreading out, the dome increasing in size.  
And then I hear someone scream out in pain and the fire retracts back into my body. The hole in the wall large enough for a horse to fit through. I look around and see Kayla, lying on the floor, clutching the side of her face.  
“Kayla, are you okay?” I ask while rushing over to her.  
“GET AWAY!” she screams backing away from me.  
“I'm sorry,” I say, tears falling even faster from my eyes.  
Kayla gets up and looks at me, her hands away from her face. One side is like it was before, but the other is cracked and red. Part of it still smoking. She looks at me, fear in her eyes, and sprints out through the hole in the wall without looking back.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot meets a new hallucination and Caroline's condition is getting worse

I snap back to reality and my leg has been wrapped fully and the bleeding has stopped. The wall of fire still there, but it’s slowly dying out with nothing to fuel it.  
“Hey welcome back.” Tyler says jokingly. He is sitting against the wall of the building cleaning off the knife that used to be in my thigh. Kayla is lifting Caroline off of the floor and lifting her onto her back. I try to stand up but my thigh gives way and I fall back on my ass.  
Tyler after finished cleaning the knife pockets it and walks over to me holding out his hand.  
“You aren’t going to be able to walk by yourself, that wound is deep and won't heal properly until it’s been stitched up.”  
“Okay.” I say while taking his hand. He pulls me up and slings my arm around his shoulder.  
“Hey where’d the vulture you called go?” I ask looking around for any sign of it.  
“I sent it to Trench, more specifically my boyfriend Josh, telling him we are on the way and we have two that are injured.” He answers, a slight blush spreading on his face when he mentions this Josh person.  
“We need to get going, that firewall won’t last long.” Kayla says, handing me my backpack and helping me sling it on.

Kayla with Caroline on her back starts walking down the alley under the pink sky and the rising sun. Tyler and I walking behind her.   
“We need to stick to the alley ways now that it’s so close to day. The bishops will be prowling the streets looking for us. That wall of fire doesn’t help either, it’s a beacon to the alley we are in so we are going to need to go to another alley.” Kayla says, sounding annoyed.

We reach the end of the alley and Kayla peaks around the corner and whines, pulling her head back behind the building.

“What’s wrong?” Tyler asks his voice full of concern.  
“The wind is cold and it hurt my um my.” she says while pointing to the scar on her face.  
Tyler takes my arm off of his shoulder and peaks around the corner.  
“It’s clear,” he says while slinging my arm back around his shoulder.  
We quick as we can run across the street and duck to another alley.  
“We are close to the exit come one.” Kayla says.  
She walks down the alley and opens a door to a warehouse like building. And ushers us inside. It’s very dark and cold in the warehouse. Kayla closes the door and puts Caroline down on the ground.  
“Tyler bar the door and guard these two, Eliot I need you to check her wound. I’ll be right back,” and without another word she jogs into the darkness of the building. Tyler picks up a wooden plank and puts it across the door. He draws the two knives Nico used and stands ready for anything to come through that door. I limp over to where Caroline is laying and untie the bandanna around her shoulder. It’s hard to see with the low light in the room, but from what I could see the wound was becoming a grotesque green.  
“Eliot her wound is getting worse.” I hear an unfamiliar voice say.  
I look over to my left and see a short older lady in an old time nurse outfit. Her hair curled and gray as if they were made of clouds. Her hands go to mine and push around the wound and blood and puss comes out.  
“Like I thought her wound is infected she needs antibiotics or she’s not going to make it to tomorrow.” the woman says.  
“Who are you?”I ask looking at her confused. But before she can answer she disappears.

“Eliot who are you talking to, there’s no one else in here?” Tyler asks, still keeping his eyes trained on the door.

“Um no one I think Caroline’s wound is infected it is turning green and it let out some thick puss when I put some pressure on the sides.” I say while reapplying the bandanna to her shoulder.  
“She’s running out of time we need to get her to Trench.” Tyler says. 

There are footsteps coming from behind us and Tyler whips around and walks in front of us. I draw my knife and turn to look and there is light coming from the direction of the footsteps.

The person rounds the corner and it’s Kayla, carrying a torch with her. The fire illuminating the space around her.  
“Here,” she says and passes me the torch while lifting Caroline back onto her back. Tyler and I sheathing our knives. I pass Kayla the torch back and Tyler helps me up.

We follow Kayla and she leads us to a large wooden hatch, she lifts it up and hands the torch down the hatch. Someone climbs out of the hole and grabs Caroline off Kayla, they are wearing army green pants and an army green coat like Kayla, but they have yellow stripes around the wrist of the jacket. Their hair is the colour of ink. His hair short and spiky.  
I try to back away from them, but Tyler forces me forward.  
“Eliot it’s okay they’re from Trench.” Tyler says and helps me walk toward the wooden hatch and go down the hole.  
Tyler follows behind me along with Kayla. The man hands Caroline down to Kayla and jumps down with the torch in hand.

The hole leads to a tunnel, the stone a dark grey, darker than the grey of Dema and it's a nice change in shade. It seems to go on for miles, unlit torches hanging on the walls.

I turn to the man who after hopping into the hole with us closed the wooden hatch with a gentle thud and ask  
“Who are you?”  
He turns to me and says, “a friend” his voice loud and booming. He walks down the tunnel torch in hand and gestures for us to follow him. Kayla follows him, carrying Caroline on her back. Tyler walks over to me and puts my arm around his shoulder.

“Kayla where does this lead?” I ask.  
“Out.” Tyler and Kayla say together.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot's powers show up again and he finally escapes Dema

“Wait really. It’s right here, just underneath the city?” I ask while limping down the tunnel with everyone else.  
“Ya the bishops think that we come through the walls surrounding Dema so they protect the walls, but not the city’s inside.” It was the man who responded.

We walk down the tunnel for what feels like forever and the only sound coming from our footsteps and breathing. I start to panic being underground for so long Tyler must notice because he says,  
“This tunnel is long so why don’t we talk about what you can do while we walk?” He says sounding sincere and eager.  
“Oh okay, um what do you want to know?”I ask, wincing when we the tunnel starts to go down hill from the pain shooting up my thigh.   
“What else can you do other than shoot fire from your hand?” Tyler asks.  
“Well i’ve never tried to do anything else so I don’t really know. And I don’t know if I can control it enough to do anything other than cause a huge fire.” I say keeping my eyes low to the ground so I don’t trip on loose soil.  
“Wait that runt can shoot fire?” The guy asks.  
“Yes I can and you still haven’t told me your name.” I say flicking my head up to him staring daggers into his back. As I'm staring I start to see his shoulder start to smoke and it catches fire.  
“Holy shit!” he screams patting at his shoulder trying to put out the small fire. His efforts meant nothing because he wasn’t able to put it out.

I look down at the ground and ask Tyler if the fire stopped but he replies, “No it’s getting bigger!” he sounds panicked.  
“Eliot you need to stop it and get yourself under control.” Kayla says while backing away from me the same fear in her eyes as the night I burned her.

I rack my brain to try and find a way to stop the fire, I hear the rustling of clothes and see the jacket fall to the floor. I look up but his shirts shoulder is on fire now. I try to remember how I stopped the fire with Nico.  
“That’s it,” I say while drawing my knife.  
“Eliot what are you doing?” Tyler and Kayla say, their voices filled with panic. They slowly back away from me.  
“Stopping the fire” I say while bringing the knife to the palm of my hand and sliding it across. The knife sliding across my hand makes me whine as blood seeps out of the wound, but when I look up the fire is out and the guy is fine, despite being panicked.  
“YOU FREAK!” He screams at me while walking towards me.  
He grabs me by my throat and lifts me off my feet, into the air. I grab at his hand and try to pull it off of my throat but my hands are slippery from the blood.  
“Stop, put him down know.” Tyler says, his knives at the guys throat.  
He slowly puts me down and walks back over to his jacket and puts it. He picks up the torch and keeps walking.  
“Are you okay?” Kayla asks.  
“Ya let’s keep going” I reply.  
Tyler wraps my arm around his shoulder and we follow behind Kayla and the guy carrying the torch.  
“Well we know something new about your powers, it can be used from a distance.” Tyler says keeping his voice low. “When we get to trench I’ll introduce you to Alex he’ll be able to help you figure it out.

After that ordeal Tyler keeps a hand on the hilt of one of his knives and Kayla walks beside us a good five feet away from him.

“Kayla i'm so sorry for what I did to you, it was an accident. I-” I start but she cuts me off saying, “I know it was an accident you just really scared me, it was my fault anyway i'm the one who pressured you into using it, but I'd like to know why that happened.” Sounding genuinely sincere.

“I don’t know why that happened I was able to control it at first but I lost control.” I lie.  
“Is Eliot the reason you have a burn scar on your face?” Tyler asks.  
“Ya,” I answer.

Finally, we make it out of the dark tunnel. The sky outside of Dema is so blue and the sun is so bright it hurts my eyes. I’ve never seen so much colour in one place, the only time I was outside of Dema it was night making it hard to see any of the bright vibrant colours of the outside world.

We walk down a gravel hill with a lot of difficulty on my part. It also doesn’t help that I got very distracted the whole time. The green grass and moss, the bright yellow and red of the flowers. The sound of rushing water. And the warmth of the sun on my skin.  
“I know it’s amazing outside of Dema.” Tyler says chuckling at me.

After walking through the wilderness for hours we crest a hill and see two torches leading the way to a small town looking area, where people are running around and doing tasks.

We make it to the town and stop at what appears to be the town square. Everyone crowding around us. A man walks forward with long brown curly hair. He walks up to me holds out his hand and says,  
“Hi I'm Josh, welcome to Trench.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot's first day in Trench is quite eventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is longer than normal so settle in

Tyler at the sound of Josh’s voice turns around and hugs the man.

“I get that this is probably a happy reunion for you guys but we have two people who are injured so can you help me take them to the medical tent.” Kayla says, and it’s less of a question and more of a demand.

“Oh ya, um i’ll help you get Eliot there.” Tyler says, detaching himself from Josh, a blush spreading across his face.

Kayla leads the way towards the medical tent and sets Caroline down on an empty bed drawing back the curtain surrounding the bed. The medical tent is probably the biggest tent in Trench. There are shelves stacked with medical supplies, random pill bottles, a large amount of bandages and gauze and many other things that I can’t name. Tyler sets me down on a chair and before leaving says, “I’m going to talk to Josh about that asshole who tried to choke you to death, and about your powers.”

I only waited for maybe a minute before a man entered the tent and started to rummage through the shelves and grab what seemed like things at random and put them on a cart. He was very tall and his head rubbed on the top of the tent. He was muscularly built and dark skinned. He bends down to and asks,

“So what happened to you guys?” his voice was soft and smooth.   
“We were attacked while escaping Dema by Nico, he stabbed her and threw a knife into my leg, but focus on her first her wound is infected and she hasn’t woken up since it happened.” I explain.

He listens to me and immediately starts to check on Caroline’s wound. He takes a cloth off of the cart and pours something onto it. He then places it on the wound and it starts to bubble. He then wraps it in gauze and opens a jar of something and puts it underneath Caroline’s nose. She stirs and groans.  
“Where am I?” she asks. I rush as fast as I can towards her and grab her hand.  
“Hey it’s okay i'm here.” I say keeping my voice soft.  
“Eliot my shoulder hurts.” she complains.  
“I know, but this man is going to ask you some questions okay?”I say, tears pricking at my eyes.  
“Okay but can you stay with me.” she asks, her eyes open and semi alert.  
“Okay so can you feel it when I do this?” he asks while pushing on each of her fingers.  
“Ya” Caroline replies.  
He does the same thing going all the way up her arm and on the area where the wound was.  
“Okay sweetheart, you’re all done. Now get some rest.” he says and focuses his attention on me.  
“So you said you were stabbed?” he asks.  
“Ya but my wound isn’t like hers, I don’t think it’s infected and it didn’t bleed as much.” I reply.  
He removes the bandanna and cuts the pant leg above the stab wound.  
“Huh strange, you said he threw the knife at you?” he asks while rummaging on his cart.  
“Ya.”   
“It seems to be cauterized slightly, was it thrown through like a fire?” he asks while pouring something onto another rag.  
“Ya it’s a long story.”  
He places the cloth on my wound and it stings but doesn’t bubble.  
“The fire must have destroyed the harmful bacteria on the knife.” He says.  
Some of my blood dripping from my hand fell onto the floor and he grabs my hand.  
“Well your leg is definitely going to need stitches, but your hand will just need to be wrapped up.” He says while wrapping my hand in gauze. He grabs a needle from his cart and says,  
“I don’t have any freezing so you are just going to need tough it out.” He says and begins to sew up my leg. I grimace and look away from my leg at Caroline who has fallen asleep.  
“All done,” he says and wraps my leg in gauze. He gets up and opens a cabinet on the other end of the room and pulls out a new set of clothes for me.  
“These should fit but if not we have someone who can make them fit, we don’t have any clothes for her but we are getting on it.” he says and exits the tent with some clothes in hand.  
“Wait, what’s your name?” I blurt out quickly.  
“AJ.” he says giving me a big toothy smile.  
“Thank-you, AJ, for helping Caroline.” I say slightly bowing my head.  
“No problem.” AJ says and turns and leaves the tent.  
Looking down at my leg the stitching is well done, but will definitely leave a scar. I walk over to a bed and draw the curtains around it and changing into the new clothes. The black t-shirt comes down to my mid thigh and the sleeves down to my elbows. The army green jacket almost touches my knees, and my hands disappear into the fabric of the sleeves. The black pants come over my feet and even with the black combat boots make my feet disappear. I roll the pants and sleeves up a ridiculous amount of times to make them fit, but when I do I draw back the current and look over to Caroline to see her fast asleep, curled up in her bed. Walking out of the tent the sky is a deep purple and black as the sun falls behind the mountain peaks. The stars are barely visible, but they still bring a smile to my face. I finally made it out of Dema, that cold, grey prison can’t hold me anymore and there is no way in hell I'm going back without a fight. Lost in my own thoughts I stumble into a semi familiar face.  
“Oh sorry Josh,” I say while backing up slightly.  
“No problem,” he says slowly, looking me up and down before letting out a low chuckle.  
“What?” I ask, voice rising a few octaves and a hot blushing spreading across my face.  
“It’s just your clothes are so big on you, do you want me to take you to the tailor?” He asks, still chuckling.  
“Who are you pestering now Josh?” Tyler asks while walking up and hugging him from behind.  
“I was just going to take Eliot to the tailors so he could get his clothes fitted properly.” Josh says, twisting around in Tyler’s grip.  
“Oh ya Eliot your clothes don’t fit very well come on.” Tyler says while grabbing my elbow and leading me back toward the direction of the medical tent. I wave goodbye to Josh and shake Tyler’s hand off of my elbow. The tent he leads me into is a lot smaller than the medical tent, there are no shelves stacked with medical supplies, instead it has a large ovale like table and three large dressers. There is a small old lady frantically running around, tucking pieces of fabric taller than herself into the dressers. She doesn’t notice us as she continues to run around the tent.  
“Hey, Iris.” Tyler says, she turns around and finally notices that we are we are in the tent.  
“Oh hello dear, what can I do for you today?” Iris says, her voice sounding like the stereotypical old lady everyone does.  
“Eliot here needs his clothes to be adjusted, as soon as possible.” Tyler answers, his eyes wandering around the tent’s interior.   
“Oh yes, of course, and I just finished these for a little one in the infirmary.” She says while passing Tyler a neatly folded bundle of clothes.  
“Okay so I’ll leave you to it and I’ll bring this to Caroline.” Tyler says and leaves the tent.  
“Okay so if you could come over here,” she says and leads me over to a stool that I step on top of.  
Iris runs around looking for something, her grey hair tied tightly in a ponytail swishing around like a horse’s tail. She returns to me and even on the stool i'm not taller than her. She reaches around and unfolds all the roles I did to make them fit. Her wrinkled hands flying across my body taking so many measurements I wasn’t able to keep count.  
“So when did you get to Trench?” She asks while loading a plush tomato on her wrist with little pins.  
“I got here this morning actually. When did you come to Trench?” I return her question.  
“Oh I was the first resident after Josh and Tyler started Trench. While they built the tents I made them meals and assigned jobs to the people who followed after me.” Iris replied while taking out a pin and pinning my sleeves to the proper length. She was about to fix the waistline of my clothes, but I stop her saying, “I was wondering if we could keep it this long, I um really like it being this long.” I say, a small blush spreading over the bridge of my nose.  
“Oh of course dear is there anything else you want me to do before I put on the final touches?” Iris asks looking at me with her round purple eyes.  
“Um ya, if this isn’t flame retardant can you make it so it is?” I ask sheepishly trying not to be too obvious.  
“Oh why of course, I have a special thing too,” she says, and winks at me.  
Iris closes her eyes and all of a sudden there is a second Iris grabbing some fabric from one of the dressers. Iris 1.0 is still standing beside me while tracing a line around my sleeves and pant legs for where she needs to cut off the extra fabric. Iris 2.0 is tracing out the shape of my torso and legs.  
“How did you do that? How do you have so much control? Does everyone have powers in Trench?” I ask, my voice increasing in speed the more questions I ask.  
“Well, I just need to think of two things to do at once, but it takes a lot of mental effort,” and as she says that Iris 2.0 flickers and becomes slightly transparent. She takes a few moments and continues, “My power as you call it isn’t that difficult to control, all I have to do is think about what I want my double to do and she does it. But no most people in Trench are completely normal with no powers at all. So what can you do?” She finishes.  
“Oh um, I can do things with fire. Like fire comes out of me or I can like, start it, but I don’t know how to do it well. That’s why I want my clothes to be flame retardant.” I say, heat flooding to my cheeks.  
“Oh that’s a very interesting and very dangerous thing to be able to do.” Iris says.  
We stand in silence as her double brings over the fabric and holds it up for the original Iris to sew the fabric to my clothes. And in no time at all, she was done and her double disappeared in a shimmer leaving a small distortion in the air for a few moments.  
“So what do you think dear?” Iris asks and turns me toward a full length mirror. I look at myself and inspect her handiwork. The added layer on the jacket and pants is barely noticeable on the outfit itself. The added layers the same colours as the original fabric hidden underneath the new layer.  
“Thanks a lot Iris.” I say a smile spreading across my face as I look at her.  
“Well we should go to supper dear, it should be ready by now.” Iris says and leads me out of the tent into the dark outside world. The sky no longer holding it’s deep plum colour, has turned black letting the stars shine bright. The paths of Trench are lit with torches, Iris and I follow the path toward the middle of Trench where all the residents are standing around a large fire that is surrounded by some smaller fires. I hear a voice talking to the crowd that after listening harder I can identify as Josh.  
“Today we welcomed two new residents to Trench!” Josh says raising a glass, cheers from the crowd. Josh looks over and sees me and says,  
“And there is one of them now, Eliot come over here.” Josh says flagging me down. Tyler jogs over to me and pulls me up to where he was standing with Josh.  
“Eliot when he was escaping Dema fought Nico and walked, well not walked limped away from it.” Josh says while Tyler and him wrap their arms around my shoulders.  
“Where’s Caroline?” I whisper to Tyler.  
“Right there.” Tyler replies. I look around and see Caroline running up towards me and jumping onto me wrapping me in a tight hug. I crouch down and hug her back whispering to her,  
“Thank god you are okay.” and I squeeze her tighter.  
Caroline lets go and crawls onto my shoulders sitting on my shoulder blades.  
I stand up and Josh whispers to me,  
“Say your piece.”  
I stand there for a second before saying,  
“I was finally able to escape Dema,” at that there was loud cheering and I had to wait for a few moments for the sound to die down.  
“But I wouldn’t of made it out without Kayla and Tyler.” I say looking in the crowd for Kayla. When I see her in the crowd I point at her and wave my hand for her to join me, and begrudgingly she walks up next to me and lightly slaps my arm. Tyler tries to hide behind Josh but Kayla reaches around and forces him into the spotlight with us.  
“Without these two I would have lost my life more than once, but this gem,” I say while pointing to Caroline, “ was the bravest of us all, when Nico had me cornered charged in front of me and took the knife that was meant for me and for that I am forever grateful to all of them.” I say my voice breaking a few times during my speech like thing.  
Everyone cheers and whoops before Josh brings the noise back down.  
“Now it is time to give Caroline and Eliot there marks, a representation about how the city can’t control us.” Josh says and steps away from me and Caroline.  
I put Caroline down and Josh returns, to my side after handing Kayla and Tyler a role of yellow tape. They walk up to me and apply them around my shine on the left and thigh on the write, I whine as the tape is applied over the stitches in my right thigh. They also put the tape around my elbows and on the cuffs of my jacket. Tyler hands me a roll of yellow tape and we turn our attention to Caroline. Her new outfit the same as mine. We place the yellow tape on the cuff of her pants, and a straight line across her chest, wrapping around her back. I put one over the knife wound that she took for me and whisper to her,  
“This is so you remember my thanks for the knife you took for me.”  
We finish putting the tape on and are given a bowl of some sort of stew that tastes delicious compared to everything in Dema. After we finish eating Caroline and I are lead to a tent by Tyler and before I am able to enter in behind Caroline, Tyler stops me and asks,  
“So how was your first day?”  
“Perfect,” I say and enter into the tent to finally get some sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot's friend comes back like he said he would and Eliot has an important realization.

I wake up in a cold sweat, the tent dark and cold, my breath misting in front of me. I look around and the darkness seems to shift creating shapes. I hear rustling to my left and see Caroline’s sleeping form in the bed next to me. I look at the foot of my bed and the darkness of the room comes together to form my doppelganger, his milky eyes staring me down,  
“Hey Eliot, you told me to come back later so now it’s time to have some fun.” He says while towards me.  
“Why do you have to keep coming back? What did I do to deserve this?” I ask him fear rushing through my system.  
“You know what you did, even if you don’t want to admit it to yourself. Now come with me so we can have some fun. We wouldn’t want to wake her now, would we?” he says while pulling me by the hand out of my bed, his hands are ice cold. His outfit is hard to see in the low lighting but it looks identical to my outfit but the yellow tape is a deep, blood red. He leads me out of the tent, the stars are no longer out they’ve been covered by dark stormy clouds. 

He leads me out of Trench down towards the stream near Trench. Once we reach the stream he throws me face first into it, the cold water sending chills through body.  
“You deserve this don’t you, don't you?” He says kicking me in the ribs sending me rolling down further into the stream of ice water. My wet hair sticking to my forehead as he walks towards me. His hand grips my hair and he yanks me onto my feet. Tears start to stream down my face as he presses into the side he kicked.  
“You hate yourself don’t you?” he says, letting go of my hair and walking away from me.  
“Yes, now can you please leave?” I say voice breaking at the end.  
“Oh no, the fun is just getting started.” he says while throwing a big, heavy stone at me hitting my stitches, causing me to scream out in pain.  
I stand up despite the pain coursing through my leg. I look back at Trench, the one place that made me happy and see someone with a torch moving in my direction.  
I try to call out but as soon as I open my mouth he smacks me in the back of the head forcing my mouth closed.

“Let’s paint your skin red, it will make it all nice and pretty.” he says while pushing me on the ground and drawing the knife still attached to my thigh. He pulls my sleeve back and slides the knife across my skin, blood pooling from my arm sliding down into the creak. I scream out for help and look over to see the person with the torch charging towards me. He looks over at them grunts in anger, looks back at me winks and disappears. I sit up, knife in hand my arm still bleeding. The person with the torch finally makes it to me and it looks like Tyler but when I look up at him, his face is distorted and his eyes are missing. I crawl backwards and stand demon Tyler opens his mouth and all that comes out is a loud shriek. I cover my ears to try and dampen the sound but it doesn’t work very well. I stand and hold my knife out in front of me, slowly backing away from the thing in front of me. 

“STAY BACK!” I shout still backing away stepping into the stream.  
Demon Tyler drops the torch and runs towards me, grabbing my wrist turning it to the right, forcing the knife out of my hand. It grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me vigorously. Staring into it’s horrifying face the eyes start to return back into their sockets and in a little bit Tyler looks normal. I grab his shoulders and he stops shaking me.  
“Eliot are you okay? Why are you out here it’s freezing?” Tyler says, voice full of concern.  
“I- I- he and,” I stutter, not able to form a coherent sentence.  
Tyler looks me up and down and stops at my arm where blood is still pouring out of the cut.  
“Why did you do this to yourself?” Tyler asks still concerned.  
“I didn’t he did, he took me out of the tent and dragged me here. He kicked me and-” but as I say it I realize that the pain from the kick has disappeared.  
“Eliot there was no one else out here you were just flailing around in the stream and then you drew your knife and started to cut your arm.” Tyler says picking up the torch and grabbing me by the hand. We walk back toward Trench as the sun is rising over the camp. The bleeding from my arm has slowed but the pain is still sharp. Tyler leads me into the medical tent and wraps my arm in gauze.  
“Eliot you need to be honest with me. Why were you down there?” Tyler says still wrapping my arm and re rapping my hand.  
“There is this evil version of me that likes to have fun with me or at least that’s how he puts it,” I say my voice cracking, tears running down my face. I take a moment to collect myself before continuing.  
“I’ve seen him for a long time, he tells me things like I'm not good enough and I'm a bad person and that I'm dangerous. And I'm starting to believe it and it’s making me hate myself, he’s the one that um the one that cut my arm.” I finish.  
Tyler pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath before saying,  
“Eliot there was no one down there with you. I saw you walking down out of Trench and I followed you, when I got there you were laying the stream, a bloody knife in your hand. Eliot that guy, he isn’t real.” When he finishes he looks at me with a mix of concern and fear on his face.  
“But. No, does that mean I’m crazy. No, no, no, that means he was right.” I say, panic flooding through me.  
I can’t breathe. Why can’t I breathe? The world begins to spin and I try to stand but I fall back into the chair. The world doesn’t stop spinning. Tyler is holding onto my shoulders and saying something but I can’t hear him. I start to cry and scream at the top of my lungs. Tyler runs out of the tent as fast as he can. No come back I try to say but all that comes out is another scream. I start to feel funny and hot, my vision blurs more and starts to darken at the edges. My lungs are burning and I feel faint. I start to sway in my chair and my vision darkens more. Tyler runs back into the tent with Josh as I fall out of the chair, darkness enveloping my vision.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot wakes up and prepares for his first day of training. He visits the infirmary and surprises AJ with his healing abilities.

I wake up in my tent, my right sleeve rolled up to my elbow, revealing white gauze. I look around the room in it’s orange light coming from the torches in the corners. There are four people standing around talking in hushed voices. My vision is a little blurry and my ears are ringing quite loud. I sit up in bed and the four people turn to me and walk toward my bed. The closer they come, the more they come into focus. Caroline leading the pack relief spreading across her face, followed by Josh, Tyler, and Kayla wearing similar expressions.   
“Eliot you’re okay!” Caroline says jumping up and squeezing me hard.  
“Ya, I’m all right.” I say groaning as she squeezes harder, my voice rough from my dry throat.  
“Here,” Kayla says, handing me a canteen of water. Her face is covered again by another yellow bandanna. Where does she keep getting those?  
“I hope you don’t mind but I told you them what happened, Caroline wasn’t supposed to know until you were awake but she snuck into our meeting.” Tyler says, playfully scolding Caroline.  
“Well she was gonna know anyway,” Josh says.  
“But back to the matter at hand,” Josh says, “So Eliot your hallucinations are something you are just going to need to learn to deal with, and I know that sounds impossible but I know that you can do it. We don’t have any anti-psychotics that you can take but on our next supply run we will keep an eye out.”Josh says giving me a sympathetic smile before continuing.  
“Now we have someone who can teach you how to control your ability and teach you combat skills, and you start today in an hour. So meet me at the edge of Trench.” Josh says, clapping me on the shoulder which shakes my whole body before he walks out of the tent.  
“Here’s your bag,” Tyler says flashing me a smile and also leaving the tent.  
Kayla looks at me before exiting behind Tyler.  
Caroline finally lets go of me and sits back on her heels.  
“What time is it?” I ask, rubbing my eyes.  
“It’s nine o’clock, and I'm late for class.” Caroline says before rushing out of the tent.

I rummage through my bag and grab the granola bars Tyler gave me the night before we left Dema. I dine on my three granola bars and drink all the water before diving back into my bag to grab my sketchbook and pencils. I open it up to a blank page and start to just sketch letting my mind go blank and my hand wander across the page. When my hand stops moving I refocus my eyes and look down at what I’ve sketched. It looks like Caroline’s tattoo looking brand. It has the same complicated swirls and ends in the same snakes head. I put my things back into my bag and walk towards the full length mirror and inspect my injuries. My leg has completely healed leaving only a scar and the thread behind. I unwrap the gauze from my hand and inspect the wound, the only sign that it was ever there is a long thin white line across the palm of my hand the cut on my forearm however is still there but is healing rather quickly.

I grab my canteen and leave the tent, the sky a light blue in the early morning sun. I must've slept for a day at least. I walk towards the medical tent so that AJ can get rid of the thread still in my leg.  
When I arrive I see AJ taking inventory on all the medical supplies. I say, “Hey AJ,” and wave at him. He looks up from his work and immediately rushes over to me. AJ grabs my hand and faces it palm up inspecting it.   
“How did this cut heal so fast? You’ve only had it for two days. It should have taken a week to fully heal. Come over here and sit down.” AJ says, letting go of my hand and grabbing a notebook and pen.  
“Lay your hand palm up on this table,” AJ instructs and grabs a magnifying glass that has other magnifying glasses attached to it.  
I do as I was instructed and AJ holds the magnifying glass contraption to my scar and scribbles down notes in his notebook. Every once and awhile he would mutter things like “Fascinating” or “How interesting.”  
After a considerable amount of time AJ puts down the magnifying glass and says,  
“Is there anything else you need?”  
“Um ya can you take the string out of my leg?” I ask.  
“Oh that healed too? Well ya but you are going to have to come back here next time you get an injury because I need to do more research on you and how fast you can heal.” AJ says before he gets to work and takes the string out of my thigh with minimal pain.  
“All set,” he says.  
“Thanks,” I say before leaving the tent and making my way towards Trench’s gate.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot's first lesson is quite eventful.

Walking to Trench’s gate I see everyone running around doing what I assume is their job, and I feel guilty for not helping but I don't have an assigned job yet so I push the guilt down and continue walking. I see Josh standing at the edge of Trench with Tyler, they are laughing happily together, when I walk up to the gate they both turn to me. Josh steps forward and says, “Eliot I hope your ready because the first thing you are going to be learning has nothing to do with your ability, it’s just combat training.”  
I shove my hands into my pockets and look Josh in the eyes to ask him, “Who’s teaching me.”  
“We are,” Tyler says.  
“Now follow me,” and he leads me out of Trench down toward the stream I was in yesterday. I bend down and fill my canteen in the stream, the water was so cold that it burned my hand.  
“Okay so we are going to go one on one to start, I’ll be sparing you first. That’s probably better for you anyways Tyler is a way better fighter than I am.” Josh says, while stretching.  
“Okay, you should probably wear this,” I say while handing him my jacket. He looks at me confused before I say, “ Just in case I get heated.” Josh nods his head and slips on my jacket which may be to long on me but fits him perfectly despite the sleeves coming up to half way up his forearm.

I walk ten feet away from Josh, Tyler confiscating my knife that was strapped to my thigh. He walks away takes a deep breath and yells, “GO!”  
Josh immediately runs at me, faster than I thought he could run, water splashing up with ever step he takes. As he runs toward me I just stand there waiting for the right time.  
Five feet away, three feet away, when Josh is one foot away he dives at me trying to tackle me but before he can make contact I side step, causing him to fall flat on his face into the stream of icy water. I back up a few feet and crouch down putting my hands into the icy water. Josh stands up and shouts, “That was clever, but you can’t win just by dodging.” and he starts to charge at me again. He closes the distance between us rather quickly and he goes to grab me by the scruff of my neck but I throw water into his face blinding him temporarily. His limbs fly around wildly and end up connecting his knee with my nose. I stagger backwards and bring my hand up to my nose, when I take my hand away there is red blood coming from my nose.  
“That was a dirty trick Eliot.” Josh says.  
“That’s the only way I can win against you, you are a lot stronger than I am.” I reply.  
Josh still trying to get the freezing water out of his eyes is temporarily distracted. I run up behind him and elbow him as hard as I can in the small of his back before moving back away from him.  
He manages to get the water out of his eyes and turns towards me rage in his eyes.  
“Sorry Eliot, but it’s time to end this.” Josh says before running towards me again.  
“Come on Josh get some new tactics.” I say also running.  
Josh raises his fist and goes in for a punch but before he can make contact I tuck and roll through his legs but before I can stand up and do anything I’m lifted off my feet and turned around.  
“I thought you would do something like that so that punch I threw was just a bluff.” Josh says, I try to kick him but my legs are to short for me to make contact.  
“Okay you win, put me down.” I say crossing my arms over my chest.  
“Don’t beat yourself up Eliot you did great, that elbow to the back really hurt and your strategy was well thought through.” Josh says, putting me down.  
I look down at the creek re playing the fight in my head.  
“Okay Eliot I hope your ready for round two against me,” Tyler says. Josh hands him my jacket and Tyler slips it on.  
Tyler walks ten feet away from me and we start again.  
Tyler running toward me like Josh but he is much faster, making less sound than Josh along the way he went in to hit me with his elbow but I duck and roll to the side landing in a crouched position. Tyler knocked off balance from his momentum continuing unexpectedly. I go up behind him and kick at the back of his knees forcing Tyler onto the ground. I raise my elbow and aim to hit him in the back of the neck but he roles forward and turns around quickly back on his feet. This time I run towards him and try to head but him in the chest since that's where my head comes up to and I make contact but Tyler must of braced himself for the impact and stays standing. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and throws me flat on my back into the stream. I gasp at how cold the water is and the hard impact to the back of my head. Tyler walks over to me and puts his foot on my chest and says, “Good tr-” but before he could finish I grabbed his foot and pulled it forward causing him to stumble forward. I scramble up and jump onto his back wrapping my legs around him from behind and pulling on his elbows forcing his arms behind his back which forces him onto his stomach.  
“Sorry, what was that Tyler I thought you were saying good try, but it looks like I won.” I boast, Tyler thrashing hopelessly underneath me.  
“Okay you win,” Tyler says, conceding.  
I let go of him and get off of his back, Tyler stands up his front wet with freezing water..  
“Wow that was really impressive Eliot, I wasn’t expecting that.” Tyler says while handing me back my damp jacket.  
“Well you guys should go sit by the fire and dry off before you guys get a cold,” Josh says, walking up to us.  
“Ya,” I say, swaying on my feet grabbing onto Josh’s shoulder for support.  
“Hey are you okay?” Tyler asks.  
“Ya um my head hit a rock hard when I was sparring with Tyler.” I say feeling dizzy and nauseous. I try to walk over to where my canteen lay on the ground but I stumble and fall onto my knees.  
“Hey don’t strain yourself.” Tyler says while helping me up. Josh hands me my canteen and I open it and take a long drink from my canteen and my nausea starts to get better.  
“Well you did great for your first lesson, so we are going to break for lunch and then you are going to meet your next teacher.” Josh says while lifting me up and carrying me back to Trench so I don’t fall down the mountain side. He sets me down next to the big fire in the middle of camp, the heat melting the ice from my bones. Tyler sits beside me and we sit in silence until we are dry. I stare up at the sky and watch the clouds go by.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot's first lesson on how to use his powers go quite well, he even learns how to turn it off, but there were some ashes.

After drying off at the fire and my vision is less foggy and not spinning Tyler takes me to the complete other side of Trench from where we were sparing. I’ve never been on this side of Trench. Everything seems newer, and more put together. Instead of tents, there are small shabby wooden sheds that I assume are for storage. After that there is a large area of open space, it’s almost completely flat the only things sticking out of the ground is random tufts of grass. There are targets on one end of the open space, but other than that there is just open air.

While looking over at the empty space I fall under shadow, I look up at the sky to see if the sun was blocked out by any clouds but there wasn’t a single one in the sky. I turn around to see army green fabric, I walk backwards a few steps and look straight up to see a woman maybe early 30’s with olive skin and dark eyes. She is at least 7 feet tall not including her hair, which is short and spiked.  
“Oh hey Gloria I have a new student for you.” Tyler says backing up a bit so he can look her in the eyes. Tyler seems a little nervous talking to her which I've never seen from him before. Everyone in Trench seems to respect him so he doesn’t ever seem nervous to talk to them but this woman is a different story.  
“Where are they I can’t see them?” She asks.  
Well here comes the short jokes.  
“I'm right here. Hi Gloria I’m Eliot.” I pipe up.  
“Sorry, it’s hard to hear you from down there.” Gloria says while getting down on one knee. Even on one knee her chin is at the top of my head. How is this woman so tall?  
I repeat myself and she chuckles.  
“I'm just kidding around I was able to hear you.” Gloria confesses.  
“Well i'm going to go so you guys can get started.” Tyler says and tries to walk away but he get grabbed and lifted up by the back of his jacket.  
“Oh no you don’t I want to check up you bird keeper.” Gloria says.  
“Bird keeper,” I laugh out loud.  
“Shut up Eliot,” Tyler mutters.  
Gloria puts Tyler down and says, “So let’s get started. First things first, Eliot what are your gifts?”  
“Oh um I can shoot fire from my hands and start them by looking at something, but I don’t know how to control it in the slightest. Oh and I also heal really fast.” I say looking at the ground.  
“Well that’s new.” Gloria mutters to herself, but her voice booms so loud that I can hear it loud and clear.  
“What sets off your abilities?”  
“Oh, it has happened when I was super mad, super upset, super stressed, or when I focus really hard but it isn’t as much fire and it’s not as hot.”  
“Okay well before we start out with you bird keeper is going to go have a quick check up.” Gloria says and her and Tyler set off into the middle of the grassy area.  
“Alright Tyler show me what you’ve got.” Gloria challenges.  
Tyler just stands still for a while. Before a whole flock of different birds swoop down and carry me over to where they are standing.  
When I get closer to him I hear that his breathing is uneven and ragged.  
“Wow Tyler, that was amazing.” I say.  
“Bird keeper’s still got it.” Gloria says clapping Tyler on the back, sending him stumbling forward.  
“Ya now let’s see what Eliot’s got.” Tyler says walking off to the side.  
“Eliot you said you can shoot fire so shoot some at that target.” Gloria says while walking over to where Tyler is standing. Panic floods through my body as I turn to face the targets but I try to push the fear down.  
I look over at the target and raise my hands trying to imagine warmth leaving my hands. I see a tuft of flame coil around my wrists and end on the tips of my fingers. I focus harder and then the fire starts to flow more freely, but my fear rises. The fire finally flies off of my hands and hits the target. I hear Tyler and Gloria cheering from the side and Gloria shouts,  
“Good job, you can stop now.”  
“Okay,” I reply, and try to focus on stopping the flow of fire from my hand but I can’t stop it.  
“Gloria, Tyler I can’t stop it.” I shout, panic rising in my voice.  
“It’s okay Eliot, just calm down, take some deep breaths!” Tyler shouts.  
I try to take some deep breaths, but the fire streaming from my hands start to spread towards my arms. My feet catching on fire, melting my shoes. Soon the fire has completely covered my body. Fire still flying out of my hand the target turned to ash, I turn my head to look at Gloria and Tyler. Tyler looks panicked but Gloria seems to be fine. She raises her hands and claps them together. I loud bang sounds all around me and from the fire clinging to my body I can see that I have been completely surrounded by stone. I try to take a few deep breaths and the fire starts to recede off of my body. But before the fire is completely gone the stone starts to melt, turning into hot magma. I walk out of the stone when a big enough hole is formed and the fire has stopped shooting out from my hand and is just coiled around my wrists.  
“Stay there until it goes down.” I shout loud enough so they can hear. My eyes closed I imagine ice enveloping my hands and when I open them again my hands are free of fire. I look around and all of the targets have been reduced to nothing but black ash.  
Gloria and Tyler walk over to me they both look struck dumb before Gloria says,  
“That was a good first try, but I think that is enough for today.”  
“Sorry about that.” I apologize, a blush spreading across my face.  
“Hey you made good progress, but you are going to need new shoes.” Gloria says pointing at my now bare feet.  
Gloria puts her hand on my shoulder and immediately pulls it away.  
“You need to go cool off literally.” she says before walking to one of the sheds.  
“Come on Eliot it’s almost time for supper.” Tyler says and we walk towards the middle of camp stopping along the way to get me some new shoes.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot runs into some trouble luckily Tyler and Josh has taught him how to fight, kinda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not good at writing fighting scenes so bare with me. thanks

“Hey, Caroline can I have that,” I say trying to squash my anger down.  
“Oh ya sorry Eliot but they are really good.” Caroline apologizes, standing up off of my bed and handing me my sketchbook, still open on the page she was looking at.  
The drawing is of a person staring at the walls of Dema from the outside, their hand raised in front of them, fingers spread. I remember drawing this, it was after I was first brought to Dema. I grab a pencil from my bag and join the crowd of people making their way to eat.

I walk around trying to find Tyler, Kayla and Caroline but I can’t see over anyone's head. I jump up and barely make it over their heads. I walk around lost for a while before I am able to find where they are serving the food. It’s another stew, that tastes almost exactly the same as the last, but it was still delicious.

I still haven’t found them after looking for fifteen minutes. I give up and sit down on one of the log benches and start to sketch. My hand flying across the paper, making light gentle strokes with the pencil before adding more harsh defined lines. I space out for sometime and regain focus once my hand has stopped moving. The drawing is dark and features Dema from a strange angle. The cloak faces of the nine bishops looming over the city. I shudder looking at it before closing the book and standing up slamming my face hard into someones back. I fall back on my ass and fall over top of the log bench.  
“What the hell,” I hear someone say, their voice filled with rage.  
I stand up and say, “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. It was my bad.”  
“Ya it was your bad, you runt.” The person says turning around. It reveals a girl, much taller than me, which isn’t a surprise. Her dark hair in a ponytail. She looks to be a native american, built kinda like a tree. No curves on her body.  
“Ya it was, sorry.” I apologize again and try to walk away from the situation, but she grabs me by the arm and yanks me back.  
People have definitely started to notice, everyone backing away from the scene creating a circle. I look from her to the people surrounding me, trying to find a friendly face, but all of them are strangers. Someone in the crowd starts to chant. Fight. Fight. Fight.  
The girl looks around at everyone shrugs her shoulders and punches me in the side sending me flying, landing hard on the ground.  
I get up, holding my side and lower myself slightly to the ground.  
Think Eliot, there’s got to be a way out of this. I could wear her out and then finish the fight with one blow, but what if the same thing happens now that happened with Josh? No I can’t do that. 

Lost in thought, the girl takes advantage of the moment and starts to walk towards me. She reaches out her hand to try and grab me but I duck under her arm and elbow her as hard as I can in the side and move away from her.  
“Stay still and this will be a lot easier for you, pipsqueak.” she says while turning to face me.  
She moves toward me and throws out her leg, aiming to kick at my side. Before she can make contact I drop to the ground and punch up hitting her in the thigh.  
“You are going to have to try harder than that.” she chuckles.  
Everyone still chanting fight starts to tighten the circle moving closer to us.  
I roll up into a crouched position and throw dirt up into the air, hitting her in the eyes. Her hands fly up to her face and rub her eyes, trying to get the dirt out. I scramble behind her and plant my elbow hard into her lower back.  
“That was a dirty trick small fry, but I'm done playing,” she says, drawing a long knife from her behind her back.  
I hear someone shouting something but it’s drowned out by everyone chanting fight.  
“Don’t you think that's a little unnecessary, I mean this started because I bumped into you.” I say and immediately regret it because she swipes her knife in my direction but swings to high the knife flying over my head.(Maybe being short is a good thing after all.) She must have used the knife swing as a distraction because she lands a strong punch to my side making me fall to the ground in a coughing fit. She laughs and the crowd follows along, but while they are distracted go behind her back and stay behind her following her movements. Trying to think of a way out of this. I need to be able to stop her before I'm tired out myself. I draw the knife that is strapped to my thigh and stab it into her boot down to the hilt, there was no screaming so the knife must have passed straight through her shoe. Now that she is planted in place I might be able to win this. I roll away from her dogging a kick from her free foot as I go. I stand up and threw more dirt into her eyes, blinding her again. She flails her arms around punching and stabbing at the air. When she stabs down I raise my heel and kick at her wrist causing her to drop the knife, blade landing in the dirt. I run toward the knife, roll head over heels to dodge another punch and pull the knife from the ground. Using the momentum from the roll I drive the knife into her shoe earning a scream from her, and roll into a sitting position.  
The crowd is dead silent, staring at me and the girl in disbelief.  
“Are we done here?” I ask standing up, looking at the girl.  
“ you think we are done here small fry? Oh no we are just getting started.” She says, anger in her voice.  
“No Eliot’s right, this fight is over.” It was Josh, he sounded out of breath, and look furious.  
“Sorry I would of stopped it sooner but I had to fight my way through the crowd.”  
“Oh no, it’s fine, I was able to handle it.” I say while walking over to her and pull my knife out of her shoe, putting it back in its sheath on my thigh.  
The sky is turning a deep shade of purple. The crescent moon coming over the mountain peaks.  
“Are you hurt at all?” Josh asks, while clearing the crowd.  
“Not bad but I think I stabbed her foot and I think it went straight through.” I reply.  
“We’ll get her to the medical tent after I talk to her. You are probably tired go get some sleep. And here this is yours” Josh says, the crowd finally dispersed and hands me my sketchbook.  
I take it from him, make my way back to my tent and fall into a deep sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot has a weird dream where he sees a kinda familiar face

I open my eyes and see nothing, it’s as dark as the inside of my eye lids. I sit up and look around there is no light in the area, maybe room I'm in. I try to look down at my hands but all I see is, well, nothing. I stumble around in the dark for ages, this place seems to go on forever.  
“Ahh, I’m never going to get out of here.” I scream into this void like space, falling onto my knees in defeat, sitting back on them head hung in my hands.  
“Are you sure? I can help you.” I look up and It’s the doctor lady from in the alley. Nothing about her has changed. She still has the same grey curly hair and the same white nurses outfit. She stands under a long beam of light, kinda like a spotlight but I can’t find the source of the bright white light.  
“How? He didn’t put you up to this, did he?” I ask, looking around for any sign of him but there is none.  
“No he has no power over me. I can help you learn to channel your power into something good.” she says kneeling down to sit with me.  
“No my power just causes destruction and- and pain.” I stutter out flashing back to all the damage I did to Trench and how I hurt Kayla with it. I hate having this gift, I hate myself for having it.  
“Not that one, your ability to heal.” she says gently. Placing her hand on my knee.  
I perk up at her words, hope and warmth spreading through my body.  
“How?”  
“It’s in your blood.” she says standing up. I stand up with her.  
I open my mouth to ask another question but the dark realm starts to shake and her form mists at the edges. The ground cracks underneath me. I look up at the nurse but she seems to not have noticed. The same content expression on her face, her figure turning to more mist as the realm becomes more unstable. The ground falls away at my feet and I free fall down into more darkness before it stops abruptly. I sit straight up in my bed, out of breath scanning around the room it’s too dark to see more than a few feet in front of me. Shaking I get up out of bed grab my sketch book and go sit outside underneath the pale glow of moonlight. The cold air clearing my mind, my breath misting in front of me as I open my sketchbook to a blank page and start to draw, letting my thoughts take control.

Why do I have to be cursed with this stupid power, all it does is destroy and hurt people. They should have left me in Dema to suffer, they deserve to be free, but I don't. All I seem to be able to do is start fights and cause problems. I hope that that girl is okay, I would hate if I was the reason she like, can’t walk properly or something. He was right I am crazy, I am dangerous. I feel tears start to fall from my cheeks. I could just leave Trench, tell them that I don’t deserve to be here and all I cause is problems. But they would probably come looking for me. More tears falling from my eyes. My hand stops as I let out a choked sob. I look down at my sketchbook to see the page wet with tears causing the image to be slightly distorted. The image is of me crouching on the ground head in my hands, the surroundings were dark the only light beaming on top of me. I was wearing my clothes from Trench, but eighteen ink black hands with wires connected to the fingers traveling down to my limbs. More tears fall from my eyes and I walk back into the tent, place my sketchbook on my bed and leave the tent to go to the training area. The training area looks the same as when I first got there, the same targets on the end of the area and the same grass tufts sticking out of the almost completely flat land. The only differences are the large scorch marks I made on the ground, the small indentations from the lava that I made, and the human shaped targets on the opposite side of the land than the round targets. I draw my dagger from my thigh and my and walk up to the target. I practice sparring the human shaped target, kicking it, elbowing it and slashing at it with my knife. I sprint around it and slash at it’s back. I role head over heels as if dodging a kick, stand up and put the knife to the dummies throat.  
Out of breath I walk away from it and look down at my knife, realizing that it would probably be good to throw if I can get it to fly right. I try throwing it at the target throwing it kinda like a baseball it spinning like a leaf in the wind. The dagger falls short landing handle first in the dirt. I pick it up and try throwing it the same way again with all my strength but it still doesn’t make it to the target once again landing handle first. I huff out a breath in frustration and grab the knife on the ground. I throw it this time in a straight line across my body letting the knife’s handle go when it’s tip is facing the target. The knife flies out past the target and lands in the grass behind it. I walk over to get it, pulling it from the soil and hear,  
“What are you doing out here this late?” I whip around, knife in my hand and see a very sleepy looking Tyler, his hair messy and sticking up at random places.  
“Oh my god you scared me. I couldn’t sleep so I practiced sparring against that training dummy and then I started to try knife throwing.” I reply putting the knife down and walking back in front of the dummy.  
“Well I can teach you how to throw knives if you want.” Tyler offers letting out a yawn after he is finished.  
“Oh um if it’s not too much trouble that would be great.” I say putting my knife back into its sheath.  
“Now go back to bed,” Tyler instructs walking me back to my tent.  
“Goodnight Eliot,” he says and walks away into the darkness of the night.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot gets more info about Trench and the people that inhabit it. In another lesson with Gloria; Eliot participates in a free for al sparring match where they fight with their powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does any still/ever enjoy this story?

I wake up to find Caroline gone, she must be at breakfast. I get up and walk out of the tent to find the ground covered in a thin layer of frost. With every step I take, a small crunch echoes from the ground. The air is so cold it kinda hurts to inhale the air into my lungs. I find Caroline sitting on a log bench, a steaming cup clutched in her hands.  
“Good morning,” I say to her.  
“Morning,” she mumbles back. Her blonde hair falling in front of her face as she takes a sip of what I assume is tea.  
“Do you have a hair brush?” I ask, pulling her hair out of her eyes.  
“Ya,” she says, taking a small brush out of her pocket and handing it to me.  
I take the brush and start to brush her tangled hair. While brushing it I ask her,  
“So what have you been doing at Trench?”  
“I’ve been going to school. They teach me basic math, how to read and write, and physical combat.”  
“Wait they teach you physical combat?” I ask, my hand stopping, voice full of concern.  
“Ya but it’s just the basics, like how to block and disarm, no one’s gotten hurt.”  
“Well if you do let me know and I’ll teach them a lesson.” I say while continuing to brush her hair.  
We sit there in silence for a while, me just brushing her hair. I stand up and say,  
“I’ll be right back.” Before walking around camp and picking the random wild flowers I find in the grass. I walk back to Caroline and find her still sitting on the bench. I walk up behind her and start to braid her hair, tying the wild flowers in as I go when I finish I realize I don’t have a hair tie.  
“Here,” I look up to see Kayla standing there her hand outstretched, a piece of yellow thread in her hand. I take it and tie it around Caroline’s hair, finishing the briad off.

“I forgot you knew how to braid Eliot.” Kayla says, sitting down beside me.  
“Ya it's not that useful though.”I say, looking down at the ground.  
“Hey um where do I get the food? normally it’s just out over the fire but it’s not here anymore.’ I ask.  
“Oh ya I forgot to tell you we have a cafeteria now, come one i’ll show you where it is.” Kayla says hopping up off the bench, grabbing my arm and dragging me behind her. She leads me to a building that was literally maybe twenty feet away from the main fire and had people streaming into it.  
“I don’t know how you didn’t see this.” Kayla says letting go of my arm and falling in line with everyone else streaming into the building.  
Unlike all the tents that is only big enough for two beds and a dresser. This building seems to be big enough to house all of Trench, the building seems to go on forever. There are so many people here that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. I tap Kayla on the shoulder to get her attention and ask,  
“How many people are here in Trench?”  
“About two hundred, why?”  
“Oh um I was just curious. How many can do things like I can?” My palms are starting to sweat as we continue our conversation, not wanting to bring any unwanted attention to myself.  
Kayla turns to me and says very quietly,  
“There are ten people here that can do something special, there’s you, Gloria, Iris, Tyler, Josh, Eugene, Ivy, Noah, and Willow, but most people are jealous of them so they had to either be here from the beginning or earn their respect from everyone else so keep it down, hot head.” She answers and turns back around.

We finally made it to the front of the line. It felt like we’ve been here forever, I grab a small loaf of bread, no bigger than the palm of my hand. Kayla and I leave the cafeteria and go back to where we were sitting with Caroline to find her gone. She must of went to class. I sit myself down on the log, Kayla continuing on to go talk to some of her friends. I pull a piece off of the bread, eating the piece. I keep doing it until there is nothing more than small crumbs. I stand up and wander around Trench, the morning sun rising over the mountain peaks, slowly melting the frost on the ground. I walk in the direction of the training area, hands shoved in my pockets, thoughts running through my brain a mile a minute, so fast that I’m not able to keep track of them. I keep walking but the ground isn’t moving underneath. I stop walking and look down at the ground to see my shadow raised off the ground.  
“What the fuck is happening?” I mumble out.

I look around to see no one around me, just a few tents around. I start to spin around in the air very slowly , but I eventually gain speed, the world blurring together as I spin faster and faster. I raise my hand and stare at in an attempt to not throw up.  
I see someone walking or maybe jogging towards me, they are saying some but I’m not able to hear them because of the wind rushing by my ears.  
I start to slow down gradually, the ground coming more into focus. I drop down onto the ground, groaning from the nausea. My vision spinning, and everything is doubled. Eight people walk up to me and one of them asks,  
“Eliot are you okay?” I look up at them and see that it’s Tyler, but there are two of him. Behind him are six people, but as my vision stops spinning I see that it’s just three people. They all look very similar, the same ash grey hair, the same olive coloured skin, and the same dark brown eyes.  
“What happened?” I croak out, sitting up making my vision spin slightly again.  
“They,” Tyler says, pointing at the three people, “Were abusing their gift and messing with you.”

After I stand up with Tyler’s help and get a better look at the three people I realize that they look to be about eleven. One is completely expressionless, about 5’0, her hair is cut in a short bob, the left side of her head buzzed. The middle has a mischievous grin on her face, the same height as the other girl, her hair long put into a messy bun on the top of her head. The last one, a boy just a little bit taller than me making him maybe 4 '10; 4' 11. He looked to be amused about the situation. His hair short and spiked.

“So who are you, and why the heck did you do that?” I ask trying to keep my voice level and calm, while i'm bubbling with rage.  
“I'm Ivy,” the girl with bob said, “and these are my siblings, Willow and Noah.” Ivy says while pointing at her siblings.  
“We did it because we thought it would of been funny and it was.” Willow said chuckling slightly.  
At that point my anger boils over and I say,  
“Oh ya, you do you think this is funny?” I raise my hand and fire flicks onto the end of my fingers. Noah backs up slightly, and Willow says,  
“See Ivy, I was right he is the guy that made all those scorch marks on the ground in the training area.” 

Three birds come and pull all three of their grey hair. Tyler walks forward, putting his hand on my arm and pushing it down. He looks at the triplets and says,  
“I thought Gloria and I told you not to go looking for him and to keep quiet about it.”  
He whistles and the birds let go of their hair and fly away.  
“It was their idea,” Noah says pointing at his sisters. His sisters immediately turn to him and they all start arguing before the ground shakes and Gloria sticks her head out of the ground like a meerkat and says,  
“Well i'm glad you kids came because today you guys are going to spar using your powers, responsibly and non lethally.” Gloria says looking at the triplets.  
“Wait that doesn’t seem very fair,” I complain.  
“Well most fights aren’t fair so you are just going to have to deal with it.” Gloria says and her head goes back under the ground, as if it swallowed her whole. She pops up a few feet in front of us, standing on the side of the wide open training area.

We walk towards the training area where Gloria tells us that the sparring will be a free for all. Where she would also be joining in on the fight. The only way you are out of the fight is if you are knocked out, give up or die.  
“I would like to avoid dying if at all possible,” I mutter, Tyler chuckling at my remark.  
“So wait, we can’t team up right?” Tyler asks.  
“No, if you do I will have the earth swallow you whole until the sparring is over. Now we are going to be starting in three seconds so spread out.” Gloria says excitement in her voice.  
“Wait what?” Willow asks.  
“Three,” Gloria starts.  
Tyler, Ivy, Noah and I run in opposite directions while Willow tries to ask Gloria questions, but she keeps counting.

“Two.”  
“One.”

Willow at two finally realizes what was happening but before she could turn and run Gloria finished counting and raised her hand causing stone to rise out of the ground and engulf Willow. Gloria lets her hand fall to her side, the earth falling with it, but Willow was nowhere to be seen.  
Well I guess that's one down, four more to go.

I look around to see Tyler and Ivy making swings at each other, but when Tyler’s fists are about to make contact with Ivy his arms are thrown in a different direction as if being pushed by an invisible force. Tyler lets out a low whistle and ten vultures fly towards him and surround Ivy, clearly catching her off guard, but I'm not able to see what happens next when i feel the ground below me start to shift as I sink down into the earth. The stable dirt turning to sand. I look around to see Gloria, slowly closing her hand. Dammit I should of been paying attention. I close my eyes and imagine heat spreading around my whole body and I start to smell smoke. I open my eyes and see that I have been completely engulfed in flames. The sand around me turns black from the heat and I slowly stop sinking but not quick enough the sand is past my knees and soon will be covering my thighs. I imagine lava flowing from my body and I stop sinking into the earth, the sand black, I try to push myself out of the ground but I can’t. I look back down at the lack sand. My hand taking away the dark colour revealing glowing, red hot glass.

“Are you kidding me.” I say in annoyance and push harder on the glass. It was quite malleable from just being super heated. The viscous liquid like glass pushing down my legs freeing my knees. While working my way out of my situation I look over to see a flock of birds attacking Ivy before I hear her shout,  
“I give!”  
The birds immediately leave her and she walks over to stand on the side lines. I look in the other direction to see Noah floating in the air, getting large chunks of earth thrown up at him by Gloria. He stops one with a flick of his hand and sends it back at Gloria, but a wall of stone blocks the projectile.

I have pushed the molten glass into a pile freeing my ankles, but the glass is cooling quickly. I look around to see Tyler making his way towards me, and a flock of birds fly over his head and create a large shadow over me cooling the glass faster.  
“Not now Tyler,” I saw while raising my hand and imagining a dome of heat covering me. Ire flies from my hand and falls down around me making a dome of fire surround me. The heat surrounding me reheating the glass.  
“Fine Eliot!” I hear Tyler yell over the roar of fire around me.

Now pushing molten glass with one hand in the air made my arms ache with effort but I finally get free. I put my hand down and the dome of fire falls away, the fire stops streaming from my hand and I look around to see how the fight has went without me. Noah is half submerged in a solid wall of stone his hands completely covered by stone.  
Tyler and Gloria are locked in combat, birds flying around Gloria while Tyler dodges boulders being flung at him.

I try to creep up on Tyler but the glass that is slowly solidifying on my legs makes me fall flat on my face.  
Tyler looks over at me and whistles loudly causing the birds flying around Gloria create a dome blocking off her vision.

Tyler comes over to me. His face is red, he has sweat running down his face and he is breathing hard. He says,  
“There is no way I can beat Gloria so it’s up to you. I have a plan, I'm going to bow out and call off my birds when I do you will have a chance to surprise her.”  
“Okay,” I say, standing up with some difficulty, the glass on my hands and knees down almost completely solidified. I bring heat to my palms and reheat the glass that is around my knees.  
I nod at Tyler and he yells,  
“I’m done!” At his words the birds fly away and I run towards Gloria.  
She’s turned around, back facing me.she turns around while I jump into the air and bring fire to my fists. I slam them on the ground and fire flows from my hands around Gloria in a circle, the fire rising high into the air trapping Gloria inside,  
“Give up!” I yell at her while increasing the fires temperature, the fire around her turning blue.  
“Fine I give!” She yells from inside.  
I imagine being dunked into a bath of ice water and the fire dies almost immediately.  
Gloria looks at me a mix of shock and amazement on her face.  
“Well Eliot wins.” She announces, wiping sweat from her face.  
I try to stand and find that the glass has completely solidified on my legs.  
“Here let me help,” Ivy says and she raises her hand, the glass breaking off of my legs and the shards being lifted into the air. Gloria raises her hand and Willow comes out of the ground, leaving a large hole, probably where she was being held during the fight. Ivy makes the glass float over the hole and lowers her hand, the glass falling in. The ground swallows it whole and as it slams closed the stone holding Noah dissolves into sand.  
“That was really impressive Eliot. Next class we will see what else you can do with all that fire power,” Gloria says.  
“Oh my god that was so bad,” Tyler says, he grabs my arm and drags me to a shed grabbing knives so he can teach me knife throwing.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler teaches Eliot to throw knives, but he gets caught in a storm

The shed is full of knives like, literally full of knives. The knives are just piled on top of each other and when Tyler opened the door the pile flowed towards him like a sharp, dangerous stream of water.  
“Why are these sharp pointy objects just put in a pile?” I ask pulling Tyler backwards away from the pile of knives.  
“We don’t have time to organize them.” Tyler answers and grabs a few knives at random.  
I crouch down to grab a few knives but most of them are either too dull to be effective or the blades are cracked to the point where they would shatter on contact. I look around for a minute or two before I find three knives that are sharp enough to at least cut the target a little bit.

When Tyler and I return back to the training yard Gloria and the triplets have left, probably to go eat lunch. The sun is directly overhead making our shadows disappear beneath our feet. The scorching heat of the sun making sweat form on my forehead. I put the knives down and slip off my jacket leaving me in my black t-shirt.  
“So throwing knives is very complicated so you are kinda just gonna have to watch and learn.” Tyler says, looking at the target and getting a knife into his right hand.   
He flips the knife’s blade into his hand, pints the handle at the dummy’s chest, pulls his arm back and flings it forward. The knife flies handle over blade and sinks up to the hilt into the dummy’s chest.  
“Now you try,” Tyler says, stepping aside to let me have a clear shot at that target.  
I step up to the plate and place a knife in my hand like Tyler did. I pull my arm back let the knife fly out of my hand as I bring my arm down. The knife flies into the dirt handle first and bounces twice before falling flat, no more than a foot away from me. I look at the knife lying near my feet, the blade has a small red streak across the blade. I look down at my hand to see a small line going across the palm of my hand.  
“I don’t think I should throw a knife that way.” I say, picking the knife up and wiping the blood off on my arm.  
“Ya, hey how did you throw those knives last night?” Tyler asks while looking at the blood on my arm.  
“Oh um, i'll show you.” I say while getting another knife, holding it by the handle. I pull my arm across my chest and swing my arm in an arc and let the knife fly out of my hand just before the tip of the knife is pointing at the dummy’s chest. The knife sinks into the dummy’s shoulder.  
“That was really good Eliot.” Tyler says, while throwing another knife, landing in the dummy’s throat. The sun falling behind passing dark clouds brings the temperature down drastically, casting a gloomy mood over Trench. I slip my jacket back on and we continue throwing knives for at least an hour before we decide to call it a day and go get some lunch.

I stop at the medical tent telling Tyler that I’d meet him at the cafeteria before walking in to find AJ helping a patient. A little boy who looks to be about the same age as Caroline give or take a few years.  
“Hey AJ, you said to comeback if I got hurt so i'm here.” I say, while going to sit in an empty chair.  
AJ turns to look at me and says,  
“I hope it’s not too bad because I don’t have a lot of time to focus on another patient,” he reluctantly stands up and does me a once over before grabbing the magnifying glass contraption from last time and inspecting my wound that has already started to scab over even though the skin was just broken and bleeding an hour ago.  
“When did you get this cut?” He asks moving my hand around to different angles.  
“About an hour ago, Tyler was teaching me to throw knives and I threw one wrong.” I answer.  
“Well that’s obvious but I don’t understand how your injuries heal so fast. Come with me.” He says and grabs my arm leading me out of the tent at a very fast pace.  
“Hey AJ slow down, I can’t walk as fast as you can. You are literally two feet taller than me.”  
He turns around scoops me up and puts me on his shoulders.  
“Where are you taking me?”  
Still no response. AJ is walking even faster lightly pushing people aside and out of the way.  
On top of AJ’s shoulders I am able to see the cafeteria bustling with people going in and out of it’s open doors.  
“AJ if you told me where we are going I might be able to help direct you.”  
And that finally gets through to him and doesn’t just go in through one ear and out the other.  
“We are going to see Josh, he’s the leader of Trench so for me to do what I have planned I need his permission.” He says while spinning in a circle, making me almost fall off of his shoulders because of how fast he turned.  
I look around and see a familiar head of red hair.  
“KAYLA!” I yell in her direction.  
She turns and smiles at me before making her way towards AJ and I.  
“Looks like you finally grew shorty,” Kayla teases, a blush spreading across my cheeks.  
“Have you seen Josh, AJ needs to talk to him.” I say while playing with the tassels on my jacket.  
“Oh ya Josh just left with Tyler a few minutes ago, they didn’t say where they were going but I saw them walking out of camp.”  
“Okay, thanks Kayla.” I say before AJ grabs onto my ankles and starts running towards Trench’s entrance. I wrap my arms around the top of his head in an effort not to fall off of AJ’s shoulders.

We make it to the gate in a matter of moments, the dark and stormy sky above us.  
I look around but don’t see any sign of Tyler or Josh anywhere.  
“I don’t see them, they must be further out, hold on Eliot,” AJ says before starting off at a run again. The gravel crunching under his feet as we go. The farther we get from the camp the worse the weather gets. Thunder booms, and rain starts to fall. It is supposed to be mid day two o’clock at the latest but it's as dark as night, the only light coming from the lighting strikes dancing across the dark sky.  
AJ slows down to a light jog, looking around for some form of shelter but we are surrounded on all sides by cliff faces with no caves in sight.  
“AJ we should turn back, I'm sure they’re fine!” I yell over the thunder.  
“No I see a cave up ahead, there’s some light coming from it.” He says pointing up one of steep cliff faces.  
“I don’t know if we can get up there but we might as well try.” I say and climb down AJ’s back.

Hiking the cliff face is difficult, the rain making the rocky ground slippery. The angle of the cliff makes it so that you have to half crawl half pull yourself up it, the cold water numbing your hands. AJ rockets up the cliff in what seems like a matter of moments. By the time I reach the top my hands are turning blue and my normally wavy hair, is sticking flat to my forehead. I bring my hands up and pull it off of my forehead while following AJ into the cave.

The cave isn’t very tall AJ, needing to crouch down as if he is permanently stuck in a sitting position. I however just keep walking forwards. The cave narrows before opening up into a circular room like area. There is a small fire with plenty of wood stacked off to one corner. Sitting around the fire is Josh and Tyler huddled together facing the opposite direction of the entrance. They seem to be asleep, or maybe just enjoying each other's company.

“Well don’t just stand there staring come sit by the fire,” Josh says turning his head in my direction.  
I look back to see AJ trying to cram himself through the small gap leading to the room.  
I grab one of his hands and try to pull him through but I’m not strong enough to pull him through fully. I keep pulling but my numb hands loose grip and fall backwards and hit my head hard on a rock.  
I sit up my head aching and vision blurry. Someone picks me and lays me down by the fire. I lay there for a while before I look up to see AJ opening my eye to look at it before helping me sit up.  
“How’s your head?” He asks and the noise sends me reeling in pain.  
“Not great,” I whisper out.  
The light in the cave is slowly dying and by the time my pain subsides it is out completely.  
“Shit. the wood is soaked.” I hear someone mutter.  
I raise my hand and a tuft of fire appears in it, illuminating the cave.  
“Stack the wood in the old fire.” I instruct.  
Tyler and josh grab half of the pile and arrange it to look like a tee-pee. I stare at the fire in my hand and will it to increase in temperature, the flame turning blue in my hand, bringing feeling back to it. I lob the tuft of fire into the tee-pee and the wood immediately catches.  
I lean my back against one of the cave walls and close my eyes.  
“I'm exhausted,” I sigh out.  
“Ya you have a concussion and just used your powers, I'm surprised you didn’t black out.” AJ says.  
“Put the rest of the wood around the fire to dry it out.” I say before I'm taken by sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot has a rough time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please read the trigger warnings, I would really hate to dig up bad memories for people so when there is a new chapter just take a moment to re read them and be ready for something in it

“Hello Eliot, it’s been awhile.” I hear a voice say.  
I open my eyes but I can’t see anything. I try to raise my hands but they won't move. I wiggle my hands but feel a burning on my wrists and stop. I try to stand but I can't get my legs back far enough. I must be tied around something.  
“Who are you?” I ask, my voice shaking as panic floods my system.  
“Come on Eli you should recognize me,”  
Its him. Why is it always him? I should start expecting it to be him.  
I hear footsteps coming towards me and a hand on my chin. It moves up my face and pulls a blindfold of off my face, revealing his face with his haunting, milky white eyes.  
He walks back a few paces before stopping and sitting down on the ground. His clothes had gained more tape since the last time I saw him, he still had the same blood red tape in the same spots I had my yellow tape but a new ‘X’ of blood red tape was covering the area where his heart would be.

I look anywhere but his face trying to focus on the room. The room looked like an abandoned house, chairs overturned, a brown leather couch stuck at a weird angle. Papers scatter the floor. The papers have weird symbols and drawings on them. One of them similar to the mark on Caroline’s arm. The few windows were covered by tattered curtains letting in small slivers of light. The door is off of the top hinge, making it fall slightly to the side.

“You keep finding new friends no matter how hard I try,” He scolds walking back over to me. He has something in his hand. It looks like the hilt of a knife, but where the blade should be there is just thin air. He places it on my thigh and says,

“You see, here’s the problem with your new friend, I can’t find them. And if I can’t find them then I can’t talk to them and make sure that their intentions are in order. I’m scared that you are trying to replace me, you wouldn’t trying to do that now would you?” He looks at me with his milky eyes and pushes his thumb down on the hilt. A sharp pain runs through my thigh and I let out a scream.

“We aren’t friends,” I growl out.

“Are you sure? I've been here for you since you were little. Remember, I was there for you since you first went to Dema, I mean, that's the only place you’ve ever lived.” He says before ripping out the knife, causing blood to fly into the air.

I scream, tears start to fall from my eyes, cascading down my cheeks.

He wipes the knife off and retracts it back into the hilt, placing it against my other leg.

“Now tell me who they are, or I’ll have to do it again.”

“No,” I say and brace myself for the coming pain.

“Fine”  
I scream out again as the knife comes out of the hilt and sinks into my skin.

“You know Eli I really do hate to do this to you but I'm trying to protect you. You don’t know them. They don’t know you the way I know you. Like how good you are at drawing, or how you hate yourself so much for what you did, not only to Kayla but to your little sister.” He says while ripping it out and cleaning the blade before it retracts into the hilt again.

“Don’t you dare. Don't you dare bring her up. She deserved so much better than she got. A better life, a better place to live, and not be stuck in that cursed city. She deserved-” my voice breaks as tears start to fall from my eyes, not from the pain of the knife, but from the pain and guilt of what I’ve done. “She deserved a better brother who was able to help her more than I could.”

“Oh I'm so sorry. I forgot that that was a touchy subject for you.” He says sarcastically as he places the hilt against my stomach.

“So back to your new friend, where can I find them?”

“I don’t know. She has only showed up to me a few times, and I never know when. Even if I did know I wouldn’t tell you anything.” I spat, it landing on his face.

“Well now, that wasn’t very nice. Why don’t I give you some payback.”

The knife sinks into my gut and deep red blood flows from my stomach into my lap. I scream out, voice rough. My vision is dark on the sides and I feel cold all over. Small pin pricks flowing out from the base of my skull making me shiver.

“Ah what’s wrong feel sleepy? Well I can fix that.”

The knife turns in my stomach and I try to scream but my voice fails me, all that comes out is a small whimper.  
My vision darkens more but I start to feel warm all over before my head falls back and I don’t have enough strength to lift it and face him.

“Here have this,” he says and places something into my mouth, I try to spit it out but I can’t muster up the strength. The thing dissolves in my mouth and I feel myself start to shake slightly.

“You weren’t very helpful but I’ll see you later.” he says and waves before disappearing.

“Wait what did you give me, come back here!” I scream as my slight shaking turns into full body convulsions. I look up at the ceiling and tears fall down my face. This is it. I'm dying. At least I escaped Dema.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't be better for you." I say as more tears fall down my face, flying around as I shake.

I convulse violently before I close my eyes and let death take me.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot speaks about his past

“Eliot, Eliot!” I hear someone scream above me, but It’s muffled.  
I open my eyes to try and see what is happening but my vision is really blurry and whatever is above me is shaking like crazy. I open my mouth to ask where I am but all that comes out is a choked sound as some sort of liquid hits me in the face.

“Turn him on his side, quickly!” I hear a deep voice say before I am rolled over onto my side. Whatever i'm facing is still blurry and shaking. It stays like that for a few seconds before it all stops. My vision clears and stops shaking. My hearing is no longer muffled.

“Eliot! Oh my gosh AJ somethings wrong. He stopped shaking all of a sudden.” Josh says, sounding panicked.

I bring my hand onto Josh’s and try to sit up but am immediately pushed back down.

“Lie still. There still might be fluid in your lungs.” AJ says, hand on my shoulder keeping me down.

“No i'm fine.” I say  
“Just help me up.”  
Josh and AJ put a hand behind my back and they slowly help me sit up. We are still in the cave, the walls lit up from the fire. They set me against the wall gently, AJ rushing away to the room like area’s entrance. I look down at my legs and find no holes going through my pants, no blood pouring from my legs. I touch my stomach and feel no knife wound. I bring my hand up to find it clean.

“What are you doing?” Josh asks, sounding very concerned.

“Oh um, nothing,” I say and tuck my hands into my pockets and looking away from him.

“You’re lying.”

“What no i'm not.”

“Yes you are I can tell.”

“How can you tell?” I ask and look Josh in the eye but somethings, off. His usual warm brown eyes are a deep emerald green.

“That's my power, I can tell certain things about people depending on the colour I make my eyes. Green is if they are telling the truth, yellow is intention, blue is emotion, and grey tells me who has powers and who doesn’t. There are a few more but they aren’t that useful.” he says, as his eyes slowly fade back to their natural brown colour.

“Why don’t you use it more, it seems so useful?”

“It is kinda invasive so I only use it when I need to.” 

AJ walks back into the cave with a very wet Tyler who is clutching a black bag in his hand.

“Oh thank god you’re okay. You started to roll around on the floor and scream but we couldn’t wake you up so AJ sent me to camp to get some medical supplies and smelling salts.” Tyler says and he rushes towards me, wrapping his arms around me.

“Ya I'm fine now, but AJ what happened to me?”

“Well you had a concussion and fell asleep so you are lucky that you didn’t end up in a coma, but it seemed like you had a seizure. Have you ever had a seizure before?” AJ says while rummaging through the bag Tyler brought. I'm not sure when Tyler gave it to AJ though.

“Uh no.”

“Eliot what happened when you were asleep, like was it a dream or?” Josh asks, his eyes turning half green and half blue.

“I had a dream, he showed up again and he said he was looking for someone. He would ask me who they were and where he could find them but I didn’t tell him, and every time I didn’t tell him he would stab me with this retractable knife. I got stabbed so many times that I ended up dying but before I died he shoved something into my mouth which made me start to shake.” I say, rather quickly.

“You said that you were sorry, what were you sorry for?” Tyler asks.

I take a deep breath before continuing.  
“He brought up my past. He brought up my sister, and I wasn’t as good of a brother as I could of been to her. I was apologizing to her for letting her-” my voice breaks as I hold back a sob.

“Tyler your prying, this is making him really upset.” Josh says, his blue green eyes filling with tears.

“Josh why are you crying?” I ask, as a single tear falls from my eye.

“When I use my power to tell emotions I feel the strong ones and this deep rooted sadness in that topic,” he stops and takes a breath before continuing, “You don’t need to share this Eliot.”

“No, no, it's fine. You guys should probably know more about me anyways, we are friends after all.” I say wiping the tears away.

“I was apologizing for letting her die while we were stuck in the city. We tried to escape but we got caught. The bishops were terrible to me, but they were brutal to her. When she came back she wasn’t the same, she would barely speak, barely eat. One day I got home and I found her dead on the ground. She joined one of the fallen. The Bishops made her a gravestone.” my voice starts to get louder as I'm taken over by emotion.

“THEY CELEBRATED HER DEATH. AND TO MAKE IT WORSE IT WAS MY FAULT SHE DIED, I WAS THE ONE WHO FORCED HER TO TRY TO ESCAPE WITH ME, SHE DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE, SHE WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL THE BISHOPS GOT BUSY BUT I INSISTED. I THOUGHT THAT WITH MY POWER I COULD FIGHT THE BISHOPS IF THEY FOUND US, I THOUGHT THAT I COULD BREAK THE WALL AND WE COULD LEAVE BUT I WASN’T ABLE TO DO MORE THAN SCORCH THE WALL, ALL I DID WAS LURE THEM RIGHT TO US.” Tears cascade down my face and my voice hurts from screaming so loud. I bring my knees up to my chin and wrap my arms around them. Face flushed I mutter out,

“I’m sorry for yelling,”

“Eliot, it wasn’t your fault, and I'm sure that your sister doesn’t blame you. And you telling us was so brave and not a word of that was a lie, and that makes it even worse. We will get back at the bishops and make sure that nothing bad happens again.” Josh says gently, before wrapping me in a gentle hug.

We stay like that for awhile as I just cry into his chest.

“Sorry to interrupt but the rain stopped and we have a problem.” AJ says sounding concerned.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot and Tyler confront the Bishops and Eliot makes a sacrifice that will haunt Caroline

“What, what's wrong?” Josh asks letting go of me and being fully alert, I notice as he draws away that his eyes are back to their warm brown colour.

“The bishops found us and they have a new toy that they are excited to try out.” AJ says.

I stand up and say, “ We have to go, quick.”

“Yes but first take these it will help steady you after the seizure, but you’re healing seems to be helping you along the way quite quickly. Also take these.” AJ says handing me a canteen, a few pills and a few empty vials. I pocket the vials and swallow the pills quickly as we head out of the cave, stopping to help pull AJ through the small gap.

I sprint ahead as fast as I can. Caroline is there. I hear the others running behind me. I look up to see the cliff faces surrounding me but pointed at the camp is a large cannon. It’s barrel sleek, the opening has two spikes on the end. There are nine people in red cloaks surrounding the cannon. The head of the cannon starts to glow faintly with the same white unnatural light as the lights in Dema. I stop dead in my tracks. AJ continues running ahead of me, Josh and Tyler stopping by my side.

“Josh continue with AJ I have an Idea.” I say looking at Josh.

“What are you going to do?” Josh asks.

“Well if Tyler can call enough birds to lift me up the cliff i'm going to try and blow up the cannon and if not, well, I'll try to take a bishop or two with me.”

Josh looks at me for a moment before he nods at me. He turns to Tyler and wraps him in a hug before saying,  
“I’ll see you on the other side,” before he turns and runs after AJ.

“Are you sure about this, because if we get caught they won't kill us they will drag us back?” Tyler asks placing a hand on my shoulder.  
“What do you mean us?”  
“Do you really think I'll let you go up there by yourself? No if we do this we go together.”

I nod at Tyler before I say, “Let's do this.”

Tyler lets out a loud high pitched whistle, in a few moments maybe twenty vultures swoop down and lift us up over the cliff face. I look at the cannon to see that it is starting to glow brighter. The vultures take Tyler and I around to the back of the cannon and set us down.

“Okay we don't have a lot of time, can you send a bird to scout out the cannon to find a way to like shut it down?”

Tyler nods and lets out another high pitched whistle and a hummingbird zips to his side before flying off to scout out the area.

“Okay so I’ll distract the bishops while you try to disarm the cannon, if you can’t do it give me a signal and make it obvious, then i’ll try my best to melt it.” I say.

A loud humming comes from the direction of the cannon, we are almost out of time.  
“Tyler we are running out of time, I’m going to go distract them make your way over to the cannon and destroy it.” I say before I start to make my way over to the eight bishops, the ninth nowhere to be found. The sun is going down shining its bright light into my eyes, my shadow falling behind me. The bishops are standing in a circle doing a kind of ritualistic dance. I draw a knife and throw it at one of the bishop's it lands squarely in one of their shoulders.  
“Hey!” I shout. Um shit I didn’t think this far ahead what do I say?  
“Um, stop!”

The bishop that I hit in the shoulder pulls the knife out and drops it to the ground, one of them steps forward and says,  
“Well, well Eliot, your still alive. It’s been awhile.” Nico says.

From somewhere behind me I hear a deep voice yell,  
“Nico I found him tampering with the cannon.”  
I whip my head around to see one the bishops holding a beaten and bloodied Tyler.  
“Well it looks like we have someone to bring back with us to Dema.” Nico responds before returning his attention back to me.  
“What do you want Eliot?”  
“Nico, why am I not surprised. I'm here to offer you a deal. You take me back with you to the city and you leave them be, you bring your cannon thing back and we leave right now.”  
“Eliot no,” I hear Tyler groans out.  
“Its fine Tyler.” I say.  
“Interesting offer, but why are you worth more than all of the people in that camp?” Nico asks.  
“Because I'm the only one who can do this,” I say and I imagine warmth spreading through my entire body, the sun has almost completely fallen behind the mountains, the fire on my body spreading out light in all directions.  
All of the bishops take a step back shock on their veiled faces.  
Nico quickly recovers and says, “Well, that is very interesting, but that still hasn’t convinced me. Why else are you more valuable than everyone else in that camp?”

Panic starts to flood my system, I thought that my fire would be enough for them to take me and leave. What else, what lie can I make up?

“Because I’m their secret weapon, their most powerful soldier, not even Tyler Joseph can defeat me no matter how quickly he works.”  
“I'm not sure about that Eliot, a pipsqueak like you being their strongest soldier, and Tyler Joseph not even being able to beat you, he is the biggest nuisance to us so far.”  
“Fine then,” I say and I stare daggers at one of the bishops, their red cloak bursting into flames.  
“Keons, put out that damned fire” Nico instructs, Keons walks over to the bishop that I set ablaze and throws a bucket of water onto the fire, but it doesn’t go out. The flames turn a deep blue and the bishop starts to scream out in pain  
“What is the meaning of this, Eliot stop this right now and we will take you up on your offer.” Nico says, his voice has a slight undertone of panic.  
I nod and close my eyes, willing the fire to stop. When I open them again, it is dark, the sun fully behind the mountains, the only light coming from the smoldering cloak of the bishop I set fire to.

 

“Looks like we have ourselves a deal, but first you have to let me help Tyler.” I say.  
“Fine,” Nico says. The Bishop holding Tyler sets him down before waking back over to the other Bishops.  
“Tyler listen to me, you need to move camp. Get everyone out of here because they will be back. And give these to AJ,” I say as I take out a knife and cut open my palms, collecting the blood in the vials he gave me. “He said that he wanted to do tests on my blood to see why I heal so fast.” Tyler looks at me confused but nods and takes the vials. I stand up and say to him, “Thank you for everything and protect Caroline for me.” Before I turn around wiping a tear off my face while walking towards the Bishops.  
They encircle me and all say together in a strange chorus,  
“It’s too bad we are still going to fire our cannon.” before I get knocked in the back of the head with something metal. I fall forwards but am caught by one of the bishops and am placed into someone’s arms.  
“FIRE!” Nico shouts.  
The cannon makes a loud whirring before it fires, the projectile breaks apart before it hits camp, raining down pieces of shrapnel.  
I try to shake myself out of the bishops grip but I can’t keep my eyes open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so there is now going to be a split in point of view, when at Trench it will be from Caroline and Kayla's point of view and Dema will be Eliot. Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i dont really know what to put here because alot happens

Caroline POV

I sit by the fire finishing my supper, after class. The sun behind me slowly sinking behind the mountain, making my honey coloured hair look like caramel flowing down from my scalp. I stand up and bring my plate back into the cafeteria for it to be washed. Walking out of the cafeteria, there are people rushing around to the wall and Trenches entrance. What’s going on? I run as fast as I can to the entrance, slipping through the crowd until I am at the very front of the crowd. AJ and Josh are at the front gate. Everyone is asking them questions at the same time making everything sound like a strange buzzing. 

All of a sudden, there are maybe twenty old ladies standing in front of the crowd and they all shout a deafening,  
“QUITE!”  
Everyone stops and is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The old ladies disappear before Josh says,  
“The bishops are here and they brought a new weapon with them, Tyler and Eliot are buying us some time and are going to try to break it but we need to prepare, so tie down anything that isn't built straight into the earth and pack survival equipment. I need Kayla, Willow, Ivy, Noah, and Eugene to meet me in my tent now. I need ten people to help hand out rations, three days worth for every person. AJ take five people to help pack up all the medical supplies you can and tie down everything you cant fit into a bag. All the kids under 14 are to stay in the cafeteria, and you must always be accompanied by someone 15 years old or over. Lets go people because we don’t have a lot of time.”

Kayla POV

After everyone goes off to do there job, Josh ushers me, the triplets, and Eugene into his tent, the sun almost completely behind the mountains. I haven’t ever actually seen him face to face. His hair is as white as snow which contrasts his olive skin and dark brown eyes. His hair is long and hangs down to his shoulders. The triplets have a panicked look on their faces, Noah, clutching at Ivy’s hand. Josh walks in front of us and says,  
“We don't have much time, we need to move camp.”  
“How are we going to do that? We don't have enough people to move all of our supplies, let alone enough time.” Noah said rather quickly.  
“You three and Gloria are going to lift up the whole camp and move it beyond the mountain.” Josh says very confidently.  
“Josh we aren’t strong enough to move the whole camp at once.” Willow says, matter of factly.  
“That's why Eugene is here, his ability lets him take people's energy and give it to someone else, it will make you guys as strong as everyone that he takes energy from.” Josh says.  
“Okay so who is going to give energy? We can't have everyone give energy and if I take too much they might die.” Eugene says, twirling a strand of his hair.  
“How ever many people we need, it's either that or die so.”  
“Is that why i'm here, to give as much energy as I can before I die?” I pipe up.  
“No Kayla, your job is to protect all of the people in Trench that are under age. You are one of our most capable warriors.” Josh says.  
“Okay let's do this, I’ll go get Gloria.” I say before rushing out of the tent. The sun is completely behind the mountains, leaving everything in an eerie dark blue light. I run into the cafeteria to see Gloria standing in front of all of the kids  
“Gloria, Josh needs you.”  
“Kayla just a second, we are missing someone.”  
“Wait what who?”  
“Caroline.”  
Shit shit shit. She probably went after Eliot.  
“She probably went after Eliot. I have to go get her.” I say and turn to leave but Gloria stops me.  
“Kayla, you can’t leave, all of them are counting on you to keep them safe.” Gloria says pointing at the crowd.  
I turn my head to look at them and see there scared faces, most of them around 10 years old, the older ones trying to calm down the ones who are much younger. I take a deep breath before saying,  
“You’re right.”  
Gloria takes her hand off my shoulder and goes to leave the cafeteria. Once she opens the door I see that the outside has a strange, white glow.  
“Wait, Gloria get back!” I shout.  
Gloria turns to me confused before she is thrown forward, small shards of something sticking out of her arms and back. I turn around to look at the kids to see most of them covered in the same small shrapnel. I look up at the ceiling, and feel pain shoot through my arm, and my left eye. I scream out in pain and raise my hand to my eye, turning to Gloria and helping her up asking,  
“Can you make a barrier on the ceiling?”  
Gloria moves her arms around a few times before she says,  
“Yes but it won't be very big, so try to get everyone in the same place.”  
I bring my head away from my eye and turn to the kids, they all flinch back but I say,  
“Don't worry i'm fine, are you all okay?”  
“Most of us only got hit in the arm but Hannah got hit in the stomach if we move her she might bleed out.” A boy with short blonde hair says.  
“Okay then she will be in the center and everyone else just stand as close together as possible.”  
The kids all corral together and Gloria raises her arms to just at her rib cage, making a stone like ceiling above the kids, supported by a few stone pillars around the side. All of the kids barely fit underneath the stone.  
“Okay everyone stay underneath the stone and you will be fine.” I say, before standing with Gloria by the door. I take a step out of the cafeteria to see no light, the camp dark, unlit torches around the camp. A loud sound is coming from the top of one of the cliff faces.

Caroline’s POV (before the blasts)

Eliot went to stop them. No, no. He is going to get captured and brought back if he doesn’t have my help. The crowd around me is dispersing, everyone scrambling around like a bunch of ants. All the adults ushering everyone under 15 into the cafeteria, leaving the front gate momentarily unguarded. I look around to make sure no one is watching before I sprint out of camp towards the direction Josh and AJ came from.

I’ve been running for so long that my lungs feel like they are on fire, the sun three fourths behind the mountain. I tilt my head back to try and catch my breath but I see a faint white glow. That must be where the cannon is. I focus my attention more directly to where the light is coming from. It’s on top of a very steep cliff. It jutting out everyone three to five centimeters, but it’s not enough to put my feet on. If only I was able to climb up the cliff like a monkey, or slither up it like a snake. I look straight ahead but my vision starts to change slightly, it becoming more defined and lower to the ground. I try to raise my hands to look at them but I have no hands, or arms.  
I turn my head around and look down to find not my legs, but a green, scaly tail. I turn my head more to see that my scales make a pattern of a person, on my back. Did I turn into a snake? I must of shape shifted or something, but that doesn’t matter, I need to help Eliot and Tyler. I slither my way toward the cliff face and slowly work my way up the cliff.  
Mid way through the climb I see balls of bright, white light shooting towards camp, breaking apart just above the camp. I continue climbing as loud rumbling sounds above me.

I finally make it to the top, everything is blue except for a human shaped lump laying on the ground. I wish I could help them, but I can’t as a snake, they would just get scared of me and try to hurt me. Slowly, my vision starts to darken and I start to grow taller, I look down at my body to see arms forming in front of me. Underneath my jacket is a dim blue glow, I role up my sleeve to see my snake birthmark glowing. My body returns to normal as the snake stops glowing.

I blink a few times, my eyes adjusting to low level of light. I rush over to the person lying on the ground, stumbling on my way. I crouch down next to them and see Tyler, unconscious.  
I shake his shoulders, waking him up.  
“Tyler, Tyler are you alright? Where’s Eliot? What happened up here?” I ask quickly.  
“C-Caroline, I’m sorry, they, they took him.” Tyler coughs out.  
I feel my heart sink, tears rushing to my eyes. I hold them back before returning my attention back to Tyler.  
“Hey you’re going to be okay. I’m going to help get you down.” I say brushing his hair back.  
“Can you call some birds to help carry you down?”  
“Not enough, I’m too weak.”  
“Can you at least try?” I ask keeping my voice low.  
Tyler slowly sits up and lets out a loud whistle, after, reeling over coughing.  
Five eagles fly towards us and grab Tyler’s shoulders, lifting him off the ground but quickly dropping him back down, him being to heavy for them to carry.  
“If I could get one more I would be able to make it down but if I try I don't think I’ll pass out.” He says swaying on his feet.  
“Its okay I’ll help them.” I say before imaging myself helping fly Tyler down to the ground. My birthmark begins to glow again and I start to shrink, my arms shrinking and gaining feathers. I flap my wings and grab onto Tyler with the rest of the eagles before we start to fly him down the cliff setting him down less than gracefully on the ground, the other eagles leaving and me turning back into a human. I help Tyler up and we slowly stumble our way back to camp.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot is back in Dema

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is so short but I'm prepping for a trip I am leaving on two days. This chapter is really bad but I hope you enjoy it none the less though.

Eliot POV

I wake up in a dark, cold room. The room is only big enough for me to lay down in, there is no furniture and no lights in the room, just cold stone and a thick metal door. I light a small tuft of fire in my hand and throw it onto the floor, letting it bring light into the room. I look down at my hands to find them red with dried blood, it must be Tyler’s. My jacket is gone and every other piece of clothing from Trench, now I am in a gray baseball tee and gray pants. I hope that everyone is okay, and that Trench has been moved.  
“But at least no one other than Tyler is hurt-” I say before the image of the bishops’ cannon firing fills my head.  
“No no no no, dammit!” I yell and as I do the fire in the room grows larger, the flames flicking onto the walls and leaving dark scorch marks.

I fall back and sit up against the wall, drawing my knees up to my chin. I can’t believe I failed them, I could of destroyed the cannon but instead all I did was get myself stuck in here. I was barely able to save Tyler. I feel cold, even though the fire is still roaring. I feel exhausted, my lack of energy making the fire disappear, plunging the room into darkness again, tears prick at my eyes before I lay down and go back to sleep.

“Get up!”  
I open my eyes and sit up to see one of the bishops standing out in the open doorway.  
“What do you want?” I spit out, glaring at the bishop.  
“Don’t talk to me like that scum!” The bishop shouts, bringing it’s hand down, hitting me in the face.  
I fall backwards and bring my hand up to my face before standing up and facing the bishop.  
“Now come with me, Nico wants to see you. After all you should always greet your new bishop before you fall under their care.” The bishops says before letting out a maniacal laugh.

I stand frozen in place, panic flooding my system to the point where I can barely breath. My vision turns dark before I fall sideways but I never feel the impact.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico wants some information and he has a new way to get it

“Eliot. Eliot wake up.” I hear someone say.  
I open my eyes to see the same nurse, still in the old timey nurses outfit and her hair is the same wispy cloud of grey, but she has large dark circles under her eyes and her normally perfect posture is more uneven. I'm in a dark room that seems to be endless with no floor, I am just floating in mid air.

“Eliot we don't have time for questions, he is still looking for me and me even showing up here is dangerous. You won't be able to escape Dema again on your own, you are going to need inside and outside help, the bishops found the tunnel that you escaped through last time, so when you leave you are going to need to find another way out.”

I nod before she disappears.

I wake up sitting in a chair made of stone, facing a desk made of the sleek grey material of the chair. The room has a tall, dome ceiling, like the inside of a church. The ceiling has an intricate painting of the nine bishops surrounding a person, on their knees with their head in their hands. The only colour in the room other than the grey of the stone is blood red tapestries and carpets, the same blood red that is on his Jacket. I sit there for what feels like forever before I finally hear the doors open behind me. Their footsteps are slow and with every thud I feel my anxiety grow.

“Well Eliot, how does it feel to be back?” Mocks Nico; as he walks in front of his desk.   
“Fuck you.”  
“Now that is no way to talk to your bishop, you don't want to go on the top of my tower do you?”

I open my mouth to say something but no sound comes out, my mouth closes again before Nico starts to talk.

“Eliot you have caused us a lot of trouble. I want you to give me all the information you have on your puny little rebellion, and if you don't there will be consequences. We tried getting information out of Tyler but he never broke, now lets see how long it takes for you to snap under the pressure.Now get up and follow me.” He finishes, standing up and walking towards the door.  
I don't move, I sit there frozen. What are they going to do to me? What are they going to ask?  
“Now!” He yells.  
I quickly stand up and rush over to his side, stepping on Nico’s cloak. Nico tries to walk forwards but his cloak catches and he face plants with a comical thud. I quickly take my foot off of his cloak and scrunch up my face in an effort not to laugh. Nico stands and says “If you tell anyone about this, you’d pray for death before you receive it.”

Walking through Nico’s tower makes me feel on edge and anxious, the bright artificial light making my head hurt, the extremely detailed oil paintings of Dema making my skin crawl, as if millions of insects live under my skin. In the dark shadows lying in the corners of the corridor I swear I see movement but when I turn my head to peer into the darkness nothing is there except gray brick.

Nico leads me into a room that is basically empty except for a pool of black water. Nico closes the heavy metal door behind me with a loud squeak from the hinges.

“Go into the pool, if you lie it will be able to tell and then well, you’ll find out.” Nico says while shoving me into the pool of black liquid, it is sticky and slippery at the same time, it splashes onto my face and sticks into my hair. I try to get up out of the pool but I can’t move my feet.

“What is this? How is it sticky and slippery at the same time?” I ask while almost falling backwards.

“It’s something special that I made while you and Tyler were away,” Nico says smirking.  
“Now first question. Who is the leader of the little rebellion you are part of?”

“I’m not going to tell you anything.” I spit out.

I feel the ooze start to stir and a small thin piece of it shoots towards me like a spike and sticks itself in the palm of my hand. I grunt in pain, the ooze still in my hand.

“Now lets try this again, who leads the rebellion?”

“I do,”  
Another black spike shoots through my other palm, I try to move my palm so it comes out but the ooze wraps itself around my wrists, I scream in pain as the strange shackles seem to grow spikes, no blood comes out of the wounds which is strange. Instead of the feeling of something leaving my body it feels like something is entering it.

“What is this doing to me?” I ask, my voice flooded with panic.

“Its going into your bloodstream, little by little, at first it will just make you sick, but eventually there will be more of that then there is blood.” Nico says letting out a light chuckle before asking another question.

“Well you won't answer that one so I'll ask you this, how many people are in the rebellion?”

“I don't know exactly.”

Another spike shoot at me into my bicep,   
“That wasn’t specific enough, try again.”

“Uh, maybe one hundred, one hundred fifty.” I answer through gritted teeth.

“Well, looks like you gave an honest answer. Now how many of them have special little quirks?”

“Its just me.” I cant tell him how many there are, no matter what.

Another black spike shoots into my other forearm, they both curl around my arm biceps and send out more of those tiny spikes into my arms, pumping more of the strange black liquid into my system.

“I'm not sure how much more of this you can take, it would be a shame for you to die before we got any valuable information out of you. How many of you have special abilities?” Nico mocks.

“It’s just me, i'm the only one.” I say as two more spikes shoot into my shoulders, I scream out and try to fall to my knees but spikes hold me up before forcefully throwing me out of the pool.  
My vision is darkening on the sides, I look down at my palms and see small holes the size of the shaft of an arrow, but instead of blood pouring out, the black ooze, is slowly dripping from my hand.

“Wow, I'm surprised you’re still conscious, well I’ll have someone take you back to your room, you can't be late for mass tomorrow now can you? After all, we need to show everyone that you’re back.” I hear Nico say, all though it is slightly muffled, my vision fades to black as I lose consciousness.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at camp things aren't going to well for anyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Im so sorry ive been so inactive recently, school has started back up and I have been working most weekends but I finally had time to write again. Posts will be a more random and not as often but im not giving up on this story. I was wondering what your guys favorite character is (OC, not tyler or josh). And thanks for reading.

Kayla POV

No one got any sleep that night, the sound of the cannon firing again and again until it rumbled away kept everyone awake and on edge. The rising sun shines through the holes in the walls and ceiling making strange diamonds of light litter the floor. I look over to Gloria to see her eyes clouded over and hazey. I sit her down and say to the kids, horror stuck on their faces.  
“It's going to be okay, just stay here, I'm going to check outside to see if I can get help.’  
I walk out of the doors to the cafeteria and the camp is in tatters, the ground littered with pieces of shrapnel from the size of a fingernail to a large fish. The clear shards making the light bounce all over the place.  
Walking through camp I see a building with hovering shards above it, I rush towards it and throw open the door to see Willow and Ivy huddled around a small body lying on the floor with a large piece of shrapnel sticking out of their chest.  
“Willow! Ivy! What happened?” I ask rushing into the room, as I get closer I see what they are looking at, their brother.  
Zach is lying on the ground his hand facing up at the elbow, sweat covering his brow and dried blood on the sides of his mouth.  
“Ivy, I need you to move, he’s alive but we need to get out of this building, if he loses consciousness the shards above us will fall and kill us all.” I say, resting my hand on her shoulder. She doesn't respond just stands up and walks out, her eyes red and puffy, and cheeks rosy.  
Willow walks over and lifts her brother up, cradling him like a baby, resting his head against her shoulder and slowly walking out of the building.  
“Noah you can stop now, no one is in there anymore.” Willow says, her voice hoarse. At her words Noah’s hand drops and with a loud crash the shards plument to the ground.  
“What happened?” I ask keeping my voice low and quiet.  
No one spoke for a few moments, Ivy breaking the silence.  
“We were waiting in the building for Eugene and Josh to get back with volunteers, when all of a sudden Noah got- he- he got.” She wasn't able to finish her sentence bursting into tears.  
Willow continued, still cradling her injured brother. “That shard came through the ceiling and hit him in the chest, he was pinned to the ground but before anymore could come through the ceiling he held them in place above us. If it was me I wouldn’t have been able to hold those that long with um, you know.” She said, a single tear rolling down her cheek.  
“Oh no. Well at least he is still alive, we should take him to the infirmary if AJ is alive, he’ll be able to help him.” I say and together we make our way over to the medical tent.  
The walls completely shredded, the tent barley standing, the inside even worse. The beds were more shrapnel then bed at this point and the cabinets and dressers where covered in shards where the pieces shattered on impact. Worst of all, there were five bodies, skewered, standing completely upright from the large pole length shrapnel going through their bodies.  
“Oh god.” I hear Ivy gasp behind me.  
“Hello! Is anyone here!?” I yell into the dim tent.  
A bed shifts and starts to shake before it thrown sideways, the shrapnel in it shattering. Laying on the ground is AJ, a large piece of shrapnel pinning one of his hands to the ground.  
“AJ, are you okay?” I ask running over to him and tearing the piece of shrapnel out of his hand.  
“Ouch, ya i'm fine. Is anyone else hurt?” He asks standing up to tower over me and the triplets. I watch AJ’s eyes scan my face and he stops on my eye.  
“I'm fine, you need to help Noah.” I say while sidestepping to let AJ see Willow and Noah.  
AJ gasps and immediately starts rummaging through the medical supplies while mumbling under his breath.  
“We need a place to put the injured, there isn't enough room in here.” I say while pacing back and forth, racking my brain for an answer.  
Everything is silent except for the occasional clatter of bottles and AJ’s muttering until Willow says, “The mess hall might have enough room for everyone.” I nod and head out of the tent, walking towards the mess hall, the sun high over head. At the mess hall doors I see a deep, crimson hand print on the railing. I rush inside and see a small girl with honey blonde hair hovering over a lanky boy with dark, fluffy hair, who is covered in cuts and bruises. The girl turns her face and I recognized her as, “Caroline!”


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot gets ready for his first mass back in Dema.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry about being so slow to update, schools been kicking my ass, but i finally finished this chapter. I have a week break so im gonna try an get at least another chapter out. I hope you guys enjoy though!

Eliot POV

I wake up in a cold dark room, smaller than the one from before. It is maybe the size of a school locker. My knees are tucked into my chin and I can't move an inch. I feel groggy and disgusting, under my eyes feel wet, as if I’ve been crying. I reach my hand up to my eyes and try to wipe it away but It won’t come off, I only smear it further across my face.

“What is this stuff?” I mutter aloud.

I can't worry about that now. I need to find a way out of Dema and find my way back to Trench. But how do I get out? They closed the exit I got out of the last time and after I got Kayla out they tripled the wall security. I could try to slowly dig myself out but that would take years and I can’t be here that long, I will probably be dead before I even get a quarter of the way.  
At the thought a shiver runs down my spine making my shudder.  
Maybe I could fly out with my fire? I should make some light and try to warm up.

I stick my hand out and try to bring fire to my palm but all that happens is a few sparks.  
“What the?”  
I try again and feel my energy drain out of me, but a large ball of fire appears in my palm, thawing the chill from my bones.

I sit there for I don't know how long, falling asleep from time to time before a bright neon light shines down above me as a large stone is removed from above me.

“Get up, it’s time for church.” Says one of the bishops, his veiled face ominous in the bright light.

I try to stand up but am to weak and end up falling back down, landing on the cold hard floor with a thunk.  
“I said get up!” he shouts before heaving me out of the hole by the back of my shirt.  
He makes a grunting sound and wipes his hands on his robes before pointing to the wall wear a vanity is set up with a new pair of clothes on the stool.  
“Get those and come get me when you are dressed.” He snaps before turning to walk out of the door. As he turns his veil falls away from his face, revealing a large black mark going all the way up his neck, the black mark seems to be moving and has strange white lines going through it, making it look like lightning streaking through the clouds. He hurriedly puts the veil back on and storms out of the room shutting large oak doors behind him, a series of clicks follow. I'm locked in.  
I could try to escape, but my chances are slim. I don't know where I am in Dema and i'm probably surrounded by bishops and the wall guard. And of course my ability just decided that its not going to work every time I use it so I guess I should just play along for now. But for how long? How long should I play along? How long could I play along?

A loud rap on the door draws me out of my thoughts. “Hurry up! Mass starts in twenty minutes!”

I quickly pick up the clothes that are piled up in the corner. It's a red suit, that looks to be made out of velvet, there are white gloves and a half face mask that is as black as night,shaped like a crescent moon On the vanity stool is a black button up shirt and a deep, red bow tie. I quickly slip into the clothes, the stiff fabric restricting my movements, the gloves are colder than ice, making my hands move clumsily, The mask smells of porcelain, reminding me of my sister making her pottery.

At the thought of her I let out a small sob and tears begin to form in the corner of my eyes. Before I can sob more the door bursts open, the bishop storming in.

 

“Hurry up fool! We need to get to mass!” He says dragging me out of the room and out into the gloomy streets of Dema. Looking around at the familiar surroundings causes a cold shiver to run down my spine.

Before I know it the church is looming over me, the back of the church looks almost identical to the front of the church, it has the same complicated designs, multiple swirls and lines going in seemingly random directions, it has the same bird silhouettes flying in every direction. The only difference is the tall iron door with nine holes, each one overlayed with a different design, the same designs that cover the church. The other eight bishops are waiting there for us, they all look annoyed, or at least I think they look annoyed, the only hint the narrowing of their eyes. Each bishop places their hand on one of the holes, all of their hands become covered in a different substance, the bishop who brought me here becomes covered in electricity, the one to the left becomes covered in a thick layer of frost, the next becomes enveloped in shadows, the next is shrouded in the same unnatural light that is in every light in Dema, the next is being circled by a stream of water that floods into the symbol, the next is shrouded in a strange, transparent purple thing. The next is completely enveloped in a raging whirlwind, the next, a strange, haze hangs around him, making a strange buzzing sound as it is pulsed into the hole. The next’s arm has changed into a crocodile like state, his fingers elongated into claws, his hand covered in a layer of thick green scales.

They all pull away and the door seems to liquify, melting into the ground.

“Now Eliot, it’s time for mass.” All the bishops say in unison.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im so sorry ive been gone for so long. Ive been dealing with alot of personal issues and have been going through an awful stage of writers block but I had to give you guys something. sorry its so short but i hope you guys enjoy it anyways!

Caroline POV

“Kayla, thank god you are okay.” I say tears streaming down my face as I wrap her in a tight hug.  
“I thought you were dead and,” I look up at her face and stop dead in my tracks. “Kayla, your eye.” I reach my hand up to touch it but she forces my hand down.

“Where’s Elliot? Is he with you?”

“H-he i-is back in t-the city. I'm sor-sorry I couldn’t s-save him.” Tyler coughs out violently.

My heart shatters. My eyes filling with tears. 

“What do you mean he is back in the city?!”

Tyler lays his head back down and winces with the effort of it.

Kayla’s hands drop and she pushes me away from her, “I'm going to go find Josh, he might know what to do. He has to.”

Without another word she leaves.  
I look over to AJ and ask, “What do you need me to do?”

He stares blankly for a moment, his eyes rolling up into his head as if he is thinking very hard about what to do next. His eyes come back down and he says with no emotion, “I need you and any of the others who aren’t injured to round up as many blankets, pillows, cots, anything that you guys think would be important to help the others.” 

I nod and point at anyone who isn't injured. “Well you heard him lets move!”


	28. Author note

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to skip this, this is just a little note.

okay. Hi, its bEen a bit. I have been Writing alOt and the book is almost over but I waNted To let you know that for the next chapters there is a huge aMount of triggering shit so pleAse read the tags as a reminder. thanKs for rEading my book and after Im finished This im starting a new writing project that is all just OCs so if you guys want to see that let me know. 

Until next time stay alive friends

||-//


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh is stuck up high but luckily he discovers something new to bring him back down to earth

Josh POV

Cold. All I feel is cold as I slowly regain consciousness. The ground underneath me is soft as if it's covered in a layer of foam.

I try to sit up but pain flare in my side.  
“Hello? Is anyone here?” I cough out.   
No voice echoes back to me, the only thing I here is the whistle of the wind and the rustle of grass.

Slowly, I stand up and take in my surroundings. I'm high up that's for sure, the ground is a mixture of soft moss and rough, hard stone. The air feels thin and the wind is harsh and cold. It might be midday but it's hard to tell because of the storm clouds covering the sky like a layer of thick, dark smoke. I look down and finally realize how high up I am, I can see all of Trench below me in shambless. Almost every building is destroyed, there is huge glass shards everywhere, what little light is breaking through the clouds refracting through the glass burning whatever buildings are left other than the mess hall.

“No no no no no.”

Tears start to fall from my eyes as the home that i've known for so long, the place that Tyler and Gloria and every other member of Trench built from scratch is in ruins.

“Tyler, he went up to stop the cannon with Eliot. What happened to them, the cannon is gone. Did the bishops kill them? No, no I can't think like that I need to push through. He could still be alive. Tyler could still be alive.”

But the thought of him lying dead on the ground, or worse back in that monochrome city force their way to the front of my mind and I sob as the first crash of thunder roles through the sky and the first heavy rain drops start to fall. As if the sky is mourning with me.

I don't know how long I’ve been up here and I don't care, I might as well freeze to death up here, the rebellion is over. Most of our forces are probably dead, we were almost out of medical supplies before the attack now to help the wounded we will be completely out. I rest my chin on my knees and close my eyes letting the sorrow was over me.

Until the rain starts to let up and the sun starts to break through the clouds, its bright yellow light illuminating the valley where the Trench is lying waiting for their leader to help them. 

“No, we won't go down without a fight, there may not be many of us left but as long as one of us lives the spark will continue to burn. We will be the fire that burns down the evil that is Dema.”

I look down and see my reflection, my eyes are a colour that they have never been before, red, blood red. I see a faint outline of my body making its way down the cliff, he climbs down but a piece of rock seems to fall away and he plummets to his death. More and more red outlines start to make their way down the cliff, all slightly differently all of them dying before they make it to the bottom except one.

One of them just runs and leaps off the cliff and instead of falling a bright red tendril thing shoots out of his back and causes him to swing back and forth. More of these weird tendrils shoot out of different parts of his body making him swing farther down before he reaches the bottom.

I take a deep breath before I say “You know what, fuck it.” And I sprint to the edge of the cliff and take a leap of faith.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapters but im gonna try to post again today and there is going to be some exciting parts coming soon

Eliot's POV

The church’s inside is colder and darker than I remember. There are new statues lining the wall, one of each bishop, each illuminated with bright neon lights. The stained glass is the same as before depicting the history of Trench. The strange thing is that the stained glass looks a little different, instead of nine bishops ruling over Dema there are ten. 

Before I am able to study it more the Bishops say, “Welcome to the church of light, in today’s ceremony we will be honouring the recently fallen.” Half if the bishops walk into the back, probably to get a tombstone while the others chant, “Decem suprema.” Their voices chill me to the bone. I want to run, hide, do anything to get away from the sheer cold creeping into my skin, resting over my heart. But I know I can’t, there is no way id be able to make it over the wall.

I could try and attack them when they aren't paying attention but I might hurt these people. Besides something is wrong with my powers and now that I know that all of the Bishops have powers as well there is no way I could take them by myself.

The other half of the Bishops walk back into the church with the gravestone. The chanting stops but the chill is still settled in my marrow.

“We have crafted this tombstone for the recently fallen Piper. She was a true follower of the light. We will honor her death by lighting her gravestone and putting it in the field of light. But the tenth Bishop will light the stone.”

Everyone in the church looks around and mumbles, confusion spreading over their faces.

One of the Bishops grabs me from behind and says, “This is your tenth Bishop.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to be ending this story pretty soon, i was originally going to end it after Eliot escaped Dema but I found that I really enjoyed writing it but I have other writing projects that I need to focus on. I am so happy that people have actually been enjoying this and ill never say no to writing a sequal but for now im going to lay this story to rest after a few more chapters. 
> 
> Stay alive ||-//

Josh POV

I land with a bone rattling thud as my ankles make contact with the ground.  
“Holy shit. I'm not dead. Oh my god I'm not dead.” I mumble dumbfounded. The black I feel the black tentacles recede into my back and suddenly I become completely exhausted but I push through it and run back towards camp.

I make it to camp just as the sun begins to set behind the mountains. The camp is in complete ruins. Why did this happen. Tyler and I spent so long building this place and in a few mere hours its been reduced to nothing more than tattered cloth and decrepit buildings.

“Hello? Is anyone here? Is anyone alive?” I shout into the camp but the only thing that responds is the howling of the wind.  
Where would people be if they were able to survive the strike, the medical tent. I look behind me where the medical tent used to be but now its a barely standing heap of glass. Where else could they be. The mess hall.

I sprint over and walk in to find AJ over-top of Noah, his shirt cut open revealing a large cut, that is filled with a long piece of glass, but that's not what I'm worried about. I scan the room and see half a dozen kids in similar shape to Noah before my eyes land on Tyler. He is bloody and bruised but hes alive.

“Ty.” I say relieved and rush over to him.

“Hey Josh.”

“I'm so glad you are okay, I thought, I thought id lost you.” Tears cloud my vision.

“I'm glad you’re okay to, when the blasts went off I saw you fly through the air and land on top of one of the cliffs. How did you get down?” Tyler asks, coughing at the end.

“That's not important. What happened up at the cannon? Why did they leave you on the ground?” I ask.

“They left after Eliot told them he was our secret weapon. They thought that they wouldn't need me if they had the ace we were hiding up our sleeve. Caroline found me on the cliff and helped bring me down the mountain.” 

“The Bishops don't know what they’ve done. They will pay for this. For all the lives they took and for everyone who was hurt.” 

“Um hey guys I hate to interrupt your reunion but my brother is dying!” Ivy screams at us.

I walk over to Noah and look him in the eyes, they are unfocused and clouded over. His skin is paler than normal, whiter than silk. His breathing is slow. I place my hand on his forehead, it feels like ice. I look up at Aj and he says to me,

“He’s lost a lot of blood, I did everything I could but I don't have anything to stick the wound closed and by the time we get a fire going to cauterize the wound he’ll be gone.”

I get up and walk over to Ivy and Willow. “You two should be with him, you are his sisters hed want you there in his final moments.”

They nod their tear stained heads and kneel down beside their brother each taking one of his hands.

Willow is the first to speak, “Hey bud, we are here. I am so sorry I wasn't able to protect you, i'm your big sister and I wasn't there for you when you needed me, but we are both so proud of you. You are so brave. Mom and Dad would've been proud if they were here to see you. I love you so much.” She places a kiss on his forehead and sits back on her heels, silently sobbing.

“Noah, I love you so much. And I'm going to miss you, we are going to miss you but, but you don't have to hold on for us okay?” Ivy croaks out, her voice wavering as she tries to keep her composure, “Its okay if you go to sleep, we won't be mad at you. Its okay.” She brushes his hair back as she stops speaking.

Noah mumbles out, “Ivy, Willow, I-.” Before his head falls to the side, his last breathe leaving his lungs.

We sit around Noah’s body in silence tears soaking our faces as we mourn the loss of a little boy, who died protecting what he loved. His sisters.


	32. Chapter 32

Eliot POV

Everything is starting to make sense now, the new mosaic with a tenth figure, the bishops giving me an outfit that is similar to their robes, them taking me instead of killing me on the spot. They wanted a tenth Bishop, one from the rebellion to show the citizens of Dema that the outside world isn’t worse than in the city.

 

“Your new Bishop escaped Dema but has come back with news, news that outside of these walls is a hell scape of danger and savages that are trying to worm their way through the walls and murder and pillage us, but we will not let them get through. The savages have started a form of rebellion but it is little more than a rag tag group of barbarians. Your ten Bishops will protect you.” The Bishops say in unison.

I feel heavy yet weightless all at the same time. No, they can’t expect me to be one of them can they. I mean after I experienced the freedom of outside, the beautiful colours, the amazing sunsets that you can see from Trench how can they expect me to preach about the false light and the hopeless grey that is plastered over the entire city.

The Bishop that is touching my shoulder leads me over the unlit tombstone. He points to a hand-print that looks like its been carved into the stone by people placing their hands on the stone table for years.

I place my hand on it before I'm able to think about what I'm doing and the tombstone lights. Filling the church with its fake light and when I take my hand away, a dark substance crawls up my arm and sinks itself into one of the holes left by the thing Nico used in my interrogation.

“This concludes our mass, praise the light.” The Bishops say in unison and the scary part is that I was speaking too.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> David_Tennants_hair Thanks for recommending my book to people that was really nice of you!

Caroline POV

The kids that I took with me to find anything that might help. The younger kids like me weren’t able to carry anything more than clothes and medical supplies but the older kids lug in whatever cots aren’t broken, huge bags of food that are filled to the brim with various vegetables, and various equipment that will be needed to rebuild Trench.

“Aj we grabbed what wasn’t-” I begin but am stuck dumb when I see Noah’s lifeless body being cradled by his sisters.

“Ivy, Willow i'm so sorry.” I blurt out before I turn my attention back to Aj.

“What-what are we gonna do now? The Bishops know where we are but we cant move camp, we have to many injured and not enough supplies.”

“We don't need to pack up camp to move it.” A familiar voice says and I turn to see Eugene standing in the doorway.

“Eugene that plan would only work with Gloria, Noah, Ivy and Willow. Gloria is to hurt to use her power and Noah is- Noah isn’t able to help us anymore.” Josh says while putting a blanket one of the kids brought and wrapping it around Ivy and Willow.

“Actually, I can still work,” Aj, says standing up and walking over to the sisters gently getting them to stand up and put Noah’s body down. “If my hypothesis is right that is. Eliot was able to heal faster than anyone I've ever seen before. His body for some reason underwent mitosis 100-1000 times faster than that of a normal person. So theoretically if we had some of Eliot's DNA I might be able to make a medicine that can accelerate the rate at which Gloria will heal.”

“But there’s only one problem with that plan Aj, Eliot is in Dema and I don't think any of us have his DNA readily on hand.” Josh says running on of his hands through his hair.

“Actually we do,” Tyler says getting up shakily, “Before Eliot was taken by the Bishops he gave me these vials.” He takes four bottles filled with a deep crimson liquid out of his pockets. “He said that Aj was interested in why he was able to heal so fast and to give them to you.”

“How long will it take you to make some new medicine?” Tyler asks handing the vials over to AJ.

“None. You see the trick was in his blood. I tested a few samples he already gave me and the blood itself when exposed to open air started to make new cells. I looked at his blood under a microscope and it turns out that he is able to produce stem cells.”

“English please.” I say, my head spinning from all of this information.

“Stem cells are cells that are created when you are a zygote to make your body. There are so many of the stem cells in his blood that when he gets a cut the stem cells make him new skin, new blood, new anything basically. So all Gloria has to do is drink this and she will be healed within maybe five minutes.”

“That's disgusting,” Gloria grunts out.

“Ya it is but it's the only way that we can move Trench before the Bishops come back to finish us off.”

“I know and that's the only reason I'm doing it.” Gloria says before taking a vial and downing it in one gulp.

Her wounds start to close on their own, her face gets more colour, her voice returns to being as strong as a mountain. It makes her look more alive.

Alive. That's it.

“Aj you said that Eliot’s blood does what those steam cells do when you are a zoo goat?” I ask taking one.

“Stem cells, and zygote.” He corrects.

“Whatever, they make new cells right?”

“Ya, so what?” 

“Well what if we give it to Noah. It might bring him back to life.”

A look of understanding dawns on his face. “It might but I’m not sure.”

“Its worth a try, it might give me my brother back.” Willow says and holds his head up while I uncork the bottle and let it drain into his mouth. His wounds start to close but his complexion stays pale and his chest does not regain the subtle rise and fall of breath entering the body.

We stay huddled around him for five minutes before. Anyone speaks.

“No, come on Noah wake up. Aj you said this would work why isn't it working!” Ivy scream while hitting Aj in the chest.

“Ivy. Stop.” Willow says gently, “He said that it might work but it must not have been enough.”

“It should of been! Noah didn't deserve this, before Mom and Dad died they said that it was your job to protect him Willow. You were supposed to keep him safe and you didn't, why didn’t you keep him safe!”

“I know it was my job, and failed them. But worse, I failed Noah.” Willow starts to cry silently while brushing the side of Noah’s cheek.  
“You didn't fail anyone Willow, especially me.” Noah croaks grabbing his sisters hand.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey i hope you are all healthy ive been trying to figure out how schools working but i think i have the hang of it now so there will be more chapters and you will probably get the end of this book before quarantine is over

Elliot Pov

As everyone files out of the church the bishops grab me by the back of my arms and drag me backwards into a room behind the altar. The room is small and has a small wooden table with a chair that looks like it was salvaged from the old electric chairs that they used. The only reason they stopped using it was because it didn't cause enough misery. The two bishops that grabbed me throw me into the chair and before I can get up out of the chair they fasten my hands and legs down.

“You did pretty well during mass so we won't do what we did before.” Nico says while he fills a glass with a black liquid like what was in the pit but it isn't as thick as before, it runs out of a tap just like normal water.

“So we are going to try this again. How many people have special abilities?”

“Like I said before, I'm the only one.”

Nico sighs making it seem like he is disappointed but I know he was hoping for that response. He walks towards me and forces the cup in between my lips and pours the liquid into my mouth. It tastes awful like a mixture of tar and ash. Before I can spit it out one of his black hands covers my nose and mouth forcing me to swallow it.

He hands the glass off to one of the other bishops who goes to fill it again while he repeats the same question and I repeat the same answer. This continues for what feels like hours but as far as I know it could have been less than ten minutes. My mouth feels slippery as the liquid that I wasn't able to swallow leaks out of my mouth and down my chin. My cheeks feel wet and I can't tell if it's tears or sweat. 

“Why don't we give him a look of how he looks before we continue, maybe that will persuade him to co-operate.”  
The bishops nod and bring out a full length mirror and when I look into it I see that how I thought I looked was one hundred times better than how I actually look. I'm incredibly pale. The only colour on my face is the black liquid trailing down my chin. My cheeks aren't covered in sweat or normal tears. I've been crying out that black liquid, slowly turning the whites of my eyes black.

The bishops laugh as they put the mirror away and ask me the same question and this time, as if its being forced out of me I tell them the truth. “There is me and maybe seven of us.” I can feel my face fall as what I said fully sinks in.

“What is that stuff?” What are you doing to me?’

“We are finally getting the truth. No take him back to his room we don't need him making more of a mess in our church.”  
The bishops all laugh at Nico’s words before they drag me out of the chair and lead me half limping, half walking back to one of their towers and throwing me in one of the cells.

‘Well well well, looks like Eli isn't feeling too good.”  
I look up and see those lifeless white eyes looking at me through the darkness.

“If only you had listened to me and not gone and tried to make new friends, it's their fault you are here you know. If they were really your friends they would have come to rescue you by now. But guess what they won't ever come for you. You'll be stuck here until you die and you will be all alone with no one to console you but me.”

My doppelganger's face finally comes into view and it looks horrifying, his eyes are still the same white void but leaking from his mouth and eyes are deep crimson lines of blood.

“What's wrong? Don't you like my new look?” His voice is filled with mockery. He flashes a Cheshire grin but it falls quickly as his face fades in and out of focus.

“What's going on? That bitch must be here somewhere.”

He looks to me and for the first time I see fear plastered on his face.

“Elliot don't listen to her, she's trying to-” Before he was able to finish his sentence he blinks out of existence and in his place is the old nurse.

“Hello Elliot, we have a lot to talk about. You need to get out of here, now.”

“I can't, there is something wrong with my fire, it's colder.”

She gives me a knowing look before saying, “If you stay here any longer you are going to die. We don't have a choice, you need to escape tonight, you need to warn the others, the bishops ride for trench at dawn.”


	35. Chapter 35

Caroline POV

My mouth falls open in shock as I hear Noah’s voice, his sisters look down to him with tears in their eyes.

“You jerk! How could you die on us like that!” Ivy says while leaping on him with a hug.

“If I had a choice I wouldn't have died in the first place.”

Willow goes to hug Noah as well before Aj places a hand on her shoulder and says, “I know that this is a really emotional time for you guys but i need to make sure Noah doesn't have any internal injuries and I can't do that if you two are on top of him.”

Willow nods and grabs Ivy’s arm and gently pulls her off of Noah so Aj can get to work.  
Josh steps forward and says, “Okay we don't have much time until the bishops come back we are going to need to move the camp.”

“Josh we can't, if I use people’s energy to boost Ivy, Willow and Gloria’s powers the people I take from will die, everyone is to hurt or too fatigued, even if Noah could help we would be cutting the population down to less than a third.” Eugene says, leaning against a wall.

“He’s right Josh, everyone needs to rest.” Tyler says while trying to sit up only to slump back down against the wall wincing.

I go over to Tyler and wrap his arm around my shoulder, propping him up so he can croutch.

“Well there is good news, Noah doesn't have any internal injuries or broken bones. I might be able to use one of the blood vials to make the stem cells create more blood so we can move the camp but at the least it will take me till morning.” Aj says already busying himself with science equipment that i don't know the names of.

“Good everyone else who isn't hurt too bad I need your help to bury the dead and give them a proper send off.”

Josh walks out of the building and Gloria and I follow along with ten other people. While Josh and the others gather up the dead I follow Gloria out of Trench in a direction I've never been before. Away from the stream and the gates and towards a small forest that I never bothered to enter into. We walk for a while in silence, listening to the birds chirp and watching the orange setting sun cascade through the leaves creating strange patterns on the ground.

All of a sudden Gloria says, “We’re here.” And when I move around her I see that we have stopped in a meadow covered in red and yellow flowers. Interspersed throughout the field are small slabs of stone and despite the morbid sight I am taken aback by the beauty of this place. I pick a few and then ask Gloria to sit down on the ground.

She gives me a smile and sits down still being taller than me.

“Gloria, I can't reach your head.” I say and under my feet a platform of dirt rises, lifting me to where I can reach the top of her head. I start to weave the floors into her unkempt hair and am finished when Josh and the others arrive.

They lay the bodies down on the ground and Gloria starts to make the body's sink into the ground while a headstone rises from the earth with the occupants' names engraved into it.

As the bodies sink into the ground Josh clears his throat and says, “I am sorry that this is the way you had to end but you didn't let them win, you died on your own terms and got to live a happy life from the moment you stepped foot into Trench, we will never forget your sacrifice and because of you we are going to be one step closer to taking down the city once and for all. Farewell. Salho folina.”

Once the bodies are fully in the ground we turn to leave back towards Trench, the setting sun falling behind the mountains laying to rest with those we buried.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are coming to the end and there is no guarantee that anyone will survive

Elliot POV

“What do you mean? There is no way i'll be able to get out of here, the bishops have closed me into this room completely.”   
What she is saying doesn't make any sense, there is no way I'll be able to get out of here even if I could use my fire.  
“The next time they take you to go to the church you need to take out the bishop that comes to get you.”  
There is no way that was going to work but whatever I guess I'll figure that out when i come to it.  
“Your plan is stupud but i think you’re right I won't be able to last much longer here.”  
She nods before blinking back out of existence.  
I fall asleep soon after that and have my first decent sleep I've had since I have entered back into Dema.

I wake up to the sound of stone grinding against itself and feel a hand dragging me out of the hole I was kept in.

“Get dressed, we have mass again.” The bishop tosses the clothes at me and I catch them with my hands when I notice that my fingers are stained black.

“What is this?” I say to myself and hear the bishop chuckle.

“Its that special drink we have been giving you, it helps make you more like us.” I look at his face but it starts to distort, his mouth opening inhumanly wide and his eyes sinking so deep into his face all that is left behind is a cavern. My breath hitches as I hear voices stir inside my head but I manage to push them back down.

The bishop scoffs before turning to leave, and as he does I send a blast of fire to shut the heavy door in front of him.

The bishop turns around and raises his hands, electricity running around his body like insects.

“You stupid boy, you couldnt ever beat me.”

A blast of electricity flies from his palms and only nearly misses me as I flatten myself against the ground. I roll up onto my knees, trying to send a blast of fire from my hands but all that comes out are a few sparks.

“Looks like your fire is going out, if only you didn't have those drinks we gave you.” he laughs and sends another shot of lightning that destroys the floor in front of me.

I run and duck behind a nearby table and find a hair brush and a comb on top of it and I am just able to grab them before the table is reduced to smoldering saw dust by the bishop. I zig zag back and forth while holding the brushes before I sprint forward and throw them at the bishops eyes following behind them.

As the brushes are reduced to ions in front of the bishop's face, I elbow him in the gut and focus on fire sprouting out of his eyes.

He falls back winded as his eyes become engulfed in flames leaving him on the ground dead.

I breathe a sigh of relief and start to rummage through his robe looking for anything I can use. Inside of his robes I find a ball with a spiked club on the end but as I try to lift it I find that it is too heavy.

“Shit, looks like I'm going to have to sneak out without a weapon and fire that's going out.”

I take the robe off of the bishop to try and pass as one but the cloak is too long, completely engulfing me.

Murmurs of a voice sound from behind the door as I tear the robe off and stand beside the doors hinges. The doors swing open and a second bishop walks in. He looks around the room at the carnage before crouching down next to the dead bishop and kicks him before nonchalantly walking out of the room.

Before the door is fully able to close I slip outside into the cold, dark corridor of the tower.


	37. Chapter 37

After the burial I don't think anyone slept well other than those who were injured. At the crack of dawn I peeled myself out of Tyler's grip and went to see Aj. He was asleep at his desk with about fifty vials of deep crimson liquid. A smile crept across my lips as I grabbed one and went back to Tyler waking him up is a bit of a struggle but once he’s awake I hand him the vial and he downs it with a slight shiver. He lays back down and his wounds begin to close as I head back out of the tent and find Iris, already awake and starting on a breakfast.  
“Well, well look at this. When did you become so big. It seems like only yesterday you were a rebellious teenager building this place and now you have become a man.” she says flashing me a smile.  
“Iris I need to ask you something.” I say and sit down on a metal box beside her.  
“You are wondering if we should move Trench or take on the city aren’t you?” She says knowingly.  
“Yes. Now seems like a good time, we have someone on the inside that once we start our attack will start to cause damage on the inside. We are down so many people but we also have those vials that we can use during the fight.” I say and put my head in my hands. My mind swimming with all of the possible outcomes.

We sit there for a few minutes before Iris says, “Josh I have known you for a long time and you have never made a decision that has put us back, you have always drven us forward and the people here, your people would follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked them too. If you think that now is the opportunity we have been waiting for then this is when we make our stand.”

“Iris can you do me a favour?”

She nods, “I need you to wake everyone up. We are having a meeting.”

Iris shakes her head and says, “There is no need” before looking at the door.

I turn my head to the entrance and see the whole of Trench standing in front of me, Tyler steps forward and says, “What are we waiting for? Lets go destroy that city.”


End file.
